Happy, Smile, YukiSayo!
by Seigetsu Ren
Summary: Collection of one-shots featuring the YukiSayo pairing.
1. Sleepless Night

**AN:** _(Cross-posted from AO3)_ I just wanted to write some fluffy YukiSayo shorts to promote the pairing. The idea came to me on a sleepless night. It is a little self-indulgent, but hope you'd like the pointless yuri fluff regardless.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, implied sexual relationship, descriptions of insomnia, minor anxiety and obsessive, intrusive thoughts

* * *

 **Sleepless Night**

Sayo didn't want to turn around _again_ on the bed she shared with Yukina, but that spot in the small of her back was starting to ache from her own weight. She tried shifting slowly, quietly, to not jostle Yukina awake, but no matter how careful, the bed springs still decided to creak. It made her pause in an awkward position, one shoulder already lifted from the mattress while her lower half was still lying flat. She was caught in a heated inner debate of whether to just complete her turn or lie back down. The latter option was probably easier. She just lay the shoulder onto the mattress again, conceding to the dull ache in her back that was starting to hurt in earnest. If only she could fall asleep then maybe it'd go away…at least until the pain screamed at her in the morning.

She closed her eyes and tried to drift off to the darkness. She had to convince herself it was a natural darkness and not staring at the back of her eyelids. Somehow, that thought just kept intruding. She was staring at the back of her eyelids…this was the back of her eyelids…that's actually a little gross come to think of it…not just a little, it's quite gross actually…ARGH! She opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling above. She couldn't sleep with those stupid thoughts streaming through her head.

Calm down. If she couldn't do that, sleep would continue to evade her. She tried spacing out at the ceiling, only to have more thoughts enter her brain. She made three mistakes in yesterday's live. She didn't press quite right on her fretting hand in that one chord and it ended up a little muddied. There was one loop where she got the timing a little off and it didn't end perfectly…no. No. Just no. She should stop thinking about it.

Washroom. She felt the urge to go, or maybe she just needed to get out of here before the more self-loathing thoughts came. They always did without fail, from her late childhood years onwards to adulthood. It might've been almost a decade since she reconciled with Hina and came to realize she could shine in a different way without comparing herself to her younger sibling, but occasionally, those subconscious feelings of inadequacy would still return. She hated them. She knew they were unhelpful. But that didn't stop them from overwhelming her.

She shifted again to get off the bed, this time successfully avoiding the angry scream of the springs. She made sure to not lift the covers too high as that would risk the cold seeping in. Yukina hadn't been wearing a whole lot… _anything_ really. That was most definitely Sayo's fault as the clothing now lay by her feet where she had discarded them earlier that night. She picked them up and left them folded on the bedside table. Then she put on her own shirt and headed for the washroom.

It was dark in their small one-bed apartment, making it difficult to navigate around the crammed space. And Sayo was too sleepy. She bent down to take a look at the digital clock on their microwave. 3:45 AM. Much too late an hour to still be awake. She most definitely kicked the very unnecessary doorsill leading into the washroom – if this were their own apartment and not a rented space she would not hesitate to rip it out with her bare hands. She groaned at the pain in her stubbed toe and somehow managed to stumble over to grab the washroom lights. It was blinding. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a moment to slowly open them again. Still bright but at least she no longer felt attacked by death rays or something…she squished herself into the washroom and pulled the door shut behind her.

She sat on the toilet. It started humming as the seat warmed. Now that she was sitting there, she realized she didn't really need to go. So, she just sat and stared at the weird stain on the wall in front of her. She briefly contemplated just falling asleep there, but that was probably a bad idea in more ways than one. Neglecting the fact that it was the washroom and probably didn't smell the best - even if it didn't stink – on the odd chance that she really fell asleep, she might smack her forehead on the small wash basin well within arms reach.

Who knew how long had passed before she dragged herself back to the bedroom. It was getting really cold and her flimsy shirt didn't cut it. She wanted to throw herself under the covers, but by the looks of it, Yukina was sleeping soundly. She had no confidence she wouldn't wake Yukina, and since she would most likely toss around again, that seemed like an inevitability. She put on her jacket and curled up on a chair instead. Tired. Too tired. She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes in hopes of finding some rest. She couldn't. Her brain started wandering over the trivial matter of the colour of her picks. Should she match them to her guitar? Or to the colour of her hair? Or…

"Sayo?"

She opened her eyes to the voice that was calling her. Yukina was patting the bed where it was empty, and seeming to realize that Sayo wasn't there, she sat up and squinted around the room until she found Sayo on the chair.

"What are you doing over there, Sayo?" she said, this time a little louder and more coherent.

Sayo walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Yukina breathed out deeply, just short of a sigh. "You did not wake me. I just woke up myself. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I couldn't."

Yukina just stared at her for a moment. Sayo wondered what other couples would be like in the same situation. Would the other partner hug the sleepless partner and coax them to sleep or something? Would they ask what was wrong? Did they have a bad dream? Yukina did none of these things. She lay back down on the bed and pulled up the covers, gesturing Sayo to join her.

"Then would you just lie down with me?" Yukina asked.

"Un."

Sayo lay down in silence. She was glad that she did not have to explain herself. She was too tired to do that, not that she would have an explanation for why her brain insisted on being so obsessed with the colour of her picks anyway. Yukina snuggled closer, her hand grazing Sayo's as it fell to her side. She spoke again in a low voice.

"Don't worry if you wake me. I get back to sleep quickly, so it is okay."

"Alright."

Yukina's warmth was too enticing. Sayo rolled over to take her into her arms. She concentrated on Yukina's breaths slowing into a steady rhythm; she tried to synchronize her own breaths to that rhythm and found her heartbeats soften too so they were no longer pounding so hard she could hear them in her ears. Her mind finally started emptying out, with only that one little nagging thought repeating itself.

"Yukina?"

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking of buying some new picks. What colour would be best? Dark blue? Turquoise?"

"Lavender."

The insistent answer surprised Sayo. She repeated it to herself several times, only to find it oddly fitting.

She smiled, brushing her hand down Yukina's hair one last time. "Lavender it is then," she muttered before finally drifting to sleep.


	2. The Cat Speaks

**AN:** _(Cross-posted from AO3)_

I do not have a cat. I have minimal knowledge of how to keep a cat. I just know my uncle's cat likes climbing all over me like I'm a tree.

Therefore, I do not take responsibility for an accurate narration from the POV of a cat. Please suspend your disbelief that a cat has the necessary colour vision to tell that Sayo is blushing like a tomato. Or maybe they can tell from her scent? I don't know...

PS - Cats are awesome. I am not Yukina.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, implied sexual relationship, drabble (sort of?), established relationship, cat narrator

* * *

 **The Cat Speaks**

"So, what should we call her?"

"Minato-san."

"No, but Minato-san, that is your own n-"

"Minato-san."

The shorter human bent down and put her hand on me. Rub, rub. Very comfy. "You are now Minato-san," she repeated.

The taller human breathed out very hard. She did not look unhappy but might've needed a nap. Or food. Food and naps are good.

"Alright. If Minato-san says so…"

* * *

I am a cat. I live in a place with many, many humans called a "city". City is good because there is lots of food. But there are too many humans, and humans are weird. They can turn rock to big scary things. Some of these things are very tall. Taller than the tallest trees. Most are cages for humans. They enter the cages by day and escape by night. The ones where young humans are caged are called "schools", while the ones older humans are caged are called "offices". At night, humans hunt for food at other big rock shelters called "stores". After that, they take the food to the smaller shelters called "houses" to eat and sleep.

Humans have an obsession with these rock shelters. If a cat goes in without a human to bring them, there will be consequences. A cat must understand that most humans are horrifying creatures. They are big. They are angry. They can grow extensions from their arms called "brooms" that are moving tree branches – do not get struck by one of those extensions under any circumstances. But humans are also very slow. The key is to avoid them. So long as you do not go into the rock shelters they will usually ignore you.

Humans are also very wasteful creatures. They will leave food all around the outside of their rock shelters, so you do not need to go inside to find it. Many other animals will come for the food. A cat must be careful of the vicious ones – the large dogs, foxes, tanuki. Smaller animals are good to catch. Extra food. Delicious and easy.

In a city, the rock shelters are everywhere. Between them are paths called "streets" full of shiny moving boxes mounted on four rolly black things. Unlike humans, those boxes move very fast. Faster than a cat can jump. Every cat knows another cat that was hit by a moving box and died. Very dangerous. Do not go near the moving boxes. Do not walk onto the streets. Hunt around human rock shelters by night, sleep in your den by day.

Where best to make your den? The rare pieces of grass in the city called "parks". Like I said, most humans are caged during the day, so parks are empty then. There are giant tubes and slanted planks and swinging pieces of wood that younger humans use to entertain themselves by dusk after they escape "school", but in the morning and early afternoon, those are the best spots for a nap. Warm and comfy. On occasion, a rare friendly human may come by to give us food and pets. The shorter human who named me "Minato-san" is one of them.

The friendly human came very often. She was usually alone, but when she was not I have heard other humans call her "Yukina". She brought us food and talked to us and ended her sentences like a cat…at least when she was speaking alone to us anyway. She was a little weird in front of the other humans.

I met Yukina when the weather was still hot. Later, it got cold and I nearly died. Yukina picked me up and brought me to her "house" which I have since made my permanent den. That was when she named me. She doesn't eat and sleep alone in the house. Another human stays there – the taller one. She is called "Sayo".

Sayo is both my second-favourite and least-favourite human. Sayo's coat is fluffier than Yukina's and is an odd colour like the cross between the sky and a tree. It is very warm and nice to sleep on. Her paws are also bigger, and the claws are harder and scratchier than Yukina's. They are nice to rub on, except Sayo rubs too hard. She is a rude human. She calls me "Neko". I am not "Neko". I am "Minato-san". When I go to her for pets when she calls "Minato-san", she ignores me and talks to Yukina instead. See? Very rude.

Like earlier tonight, she was on the big, bouncy raised rectangle they call "bed" with Yukina. Sayo is not a very fair human. She pets Yukina too, but when she does, it is gentle. She runs her paw through Yukina's coat without ruffling it. She also licks Yukina, but never licks me. So…she was licking Yukina's mouth earlier and kept at it for a long time – maybe she was giving Yukina food and keeping it a secret from me. Then she started stroking Yukina from face down to belly. It must be comfortable, because Yukina purred.

"Nnn…Sayo…"

"…Minato-san."

Thinking Sayo finally remembered about me, I jumped onto the bed. She would pet me right? And give me food? I wanted an offering of salmon and chicken thigh.

Sayo didn't give me anything. She stared at me and whined. "Neko, not now, okay?"

What do you mean not now? You called for me. And I am Minato-san. I am not Neko! I want my chicken thigh!

"You can't blame her. You called her name," Yukina said, sitting up to take me into her arms. "Am I right? Minato-san?"

Mmm…comfy. That was why Yukina would always be my favourite human, even if Sayo had the nicer fur.

Sayo breathed out really loud. Maybe she was sick. "This is precisely the reason why I said it was not a good idea to name her after yourself!"

"That is not a problem. I have another name."

"But…"

Yukina kept looking at Sayo, and Sayo started changing colour like meat on that hot plate they called a "pan". What a powerful attack. I hoped Sayo was okay.

"Ve…very well. I'll try, Yu…Yukina-san."

Sayo's defeat was short. After stuttering those words, she became very energetic and continued licking and petting Yukina... _hard_. Yukina too forgot about me soon after.

I narrowly avoided a stray limb as they tossed about on the bed thingy, leaping down to safety on the ground. I stalked off to my bowl – at least it had been filled with new food, but it was the usual mush kind and not my promised chicken thigh.

Humans are the worst.


	3. Our Own Brilliance

**AN:** _(Cross-posted from AO3)_ Just wanted to explore the canon bond between Yukina and Sayo in a different setting. That and I have way too much to say about science in academia. Please excuse all my talk on impact factors and nasty Reviewer 3s. Also, I know canon Yukina doesn't have good grades, haha. Oh well...if only Papa Minato was into science instead.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, academic science Lab AU, self-esteem issues, self-hatred, hurt/comfort, platonic friendship

* * *

 **Our Own Brilliance**

Science flowed in Hikawa blood.

Sayo's father was a surgeon, her mother a chemist, and more relatives than she could count held PhDs or MDs. Pursuing science was what was expected of her. She did not hold a particular like or dislike for it – it was all she knew, her very world view. She would grow up to be a scientist. That was her only path.

Her twin sister had already fulfilled this destiny, long before Sayo even got into grad school. Hina was a genius who completed her undergrad with the highest distinction at only the age of 15. She finished her doctorate before she even turned 20 and was now an assistant professor of astrophysics at a renowned institution.

In comparison, Sayo was a failure.

She could not remember the last time she had any "free time" to pursue her "hobbies". The concept of hobbies in itself was foreign to her. Since elementary school, all she did was study, study, study. She managed to get through high school as a straight A student, but she was hardly the highest performing even in her own class, let alone the grade.

By college, she was struggling. She wasn't failing any classes, of course. The shame would kill her. But her GPA was no longer 4.0. It was more a mid-B range. She had to take an extra year to boost her grades up to where it would be acceptable for grad school admission.

She had a hard time finding a supervisor willing to take her on. Her grades weren't stellar, so it would be difficult for her to get a grant to support her stipend, and her practical lab experience was meagre, seeing as she hadn't had that much time off studying in her undergrad years. She was lucky to have met a newly-hired faculty at a seminar and managed to convince him to take her on just because nobody else applied.

This was how she started at her current lab.

The lab was very, very small. Aside Sayo and the prof, there was only one other person. Her name was Minato Yukina. Dr. Minato was their post-doc, but she was the same age as Sayo – having done a PharmD before getting this position. The PharmD program Dr. Minato graduated from did not require the prior completion of a BSc, so though she was a post-doc, Sayo expected her level of proficiency to be similar to her own. Sayo was wrong.

Dr. Minato was brilliant. Maybe not the same kind of genius as Hina, but she was definitely talented and very hardworking. Where Sayo struggled to come up with a thesis project even after reading hundreds of papers, Dr. Minato had a list of a dozen research ideas on her desk after her first day. When Sayo finally got handed her project by her supervisor after reporting her failure, she struggled through every part of it. Experiments wouldn't work. She would repeat them, but they still wouldn't work. She would try to come up with solutions, but her ideas were mundane and hardly ever solved the problem. By then, Dr. Minato was already starting to write her first manuscript. As much as Sayo had been jealous, she shoved down her pride to ask Dr. Minato for suggestions.

"Why do you think your experiments are not working?" Dr. Minato asked.

"Because they did not yield the expected result."

"Then maybe the hypothesis is wrong?"

"But…"

But the hypothesis was the prof's. He couldn't be…wrong, right? At least the chances of him being wrong were much slimmer than Sayo's.

Sayo didn't know if she were making a funny face as she contemplated this, but Dr. Minato narrowed her gaze in irritation.

"You are too unconfident. The only bad results are inconsistent results. If the results consistently reject the hypothesis, then most likely the hypothesis is wrong."

It was not the answer Sayo wanted to hear. Even if the hypothesis were wrong, then what should she do now? She could not come up with a new project idea. What if her prof had no more ideas to offer her?

"You have doubts on how to proceed?" Dr. Minato asked again. Sayo could just nod. Dr. Minato answered bluntly, "Look into why the hypothesis is wrong. Isn't that the obvious course of action?"

Sayo had no choice but to concede to Dr. Minato's suggestion. She didn't think anybody would care about this research even if she completed it. Imagine it this way: if the goal initially had been to create a cancer drug, then all Sayo showed was that this method wouldn't work. Why would anybody care how _not_ to make a cancer drug? It was a stupid question to ask.

But Sayo followed through with it. She poured hours into doing the most repetitive tasks and came up with a bunch of dot plots as her figures; they looked so boring even on posters that nobody would visit Sayo's presentation during conferences. While Dr. Minato already had a second manuscript under revision at a top-class journal, Sayo was formatting her manuscript for an obscure specialty journal and crossing her fingers that the editor would even pass it on to the external reviewers. He didn't. The manuscript was rejected in a week and Sayo resubmitted to a journal with an impact factor of 1.3. It might as well be the _Random Journal of Bananas_.

It did manage to get accepted on its second round of review after Sayo's prof complained Reviewer 3 on the first round was biased. It had been pretty obvious, because Reviewer 3 left a scathing 50-word insult of Sayo's "unsophisticated" vocabulary, of all things to criticize in a scientific article. Did they get an elementary school bully to write this so-called review or what!? As they celebrated Sayo's first paper at a lab party, Sayo downed the champagne with more bitterness than pride. Hina's first paper had such impact that it was reported on the local news. Sayo's? Their own university press didn't have interest covering it.

Sayo stumbled back into the lab after the party. She had planned to do more experiments, but it was impossible in her current state of inebriation. What a piece of trash she was. She made herself more useless than she already was. She collapsed onto her chair and smacked her forehead onto her desk, jostling her desktop awake to show the pathetic thesis proposal for her upcoming qualifying exam. She almost wanted to throw her keyboard into the monitor.

"Sayo."

Sayo raised her head to find Dr. Minato at her bay, looking on with that usual apathetic face of hers. She wanted very much to be angry at her, much like all those times she would angrily shout at Hina to go away in the past. But she couldn't. Hina made it easy by always accidentally chiding Sayo for her failures. _"I don't understand why Oneechan can't do this." "Effort? I didn't put in any effort. It was too easy."_ This gave Sayo some sort of legitimacy to be an asshole. But Dr. Minato was not Hina. For every ounce of talent she had, there was four times that in sheer determination. She did not lose to Sayo in the amount of time she spent labouring in the lab, day in, day out, on the weekends, during the holidays. She never overstayed in the pantry, only there to shove down a quick microwave lunch or dinner before getting back to work. Sayo knew Dr. Minato deserved the success. She respected her for it.

So Sayo pushed down her sour feelings of inadequacy and answered in a most polite tone. "What is it, Dr. Minato?"

"Your paper. Do you know which issue it will be published in yet? If not, do you have the DOI? I need to cite it."

"Cite it?" Sayo couldn't help but raise her voice, her feelings not so easy to control under alcoholic influence. "My stupid paper in your piece of extraordinary contribution to humanity? Isn't it accepted with minor revisions at a journal with an impact factor of 35?"

Dr. Minato remained impassive. "Why does it matter - the impact factor of the journals?"

"I just want to know why you would take interest in my garbage. Are you pitying me?"

"I am citing it for the protocol you gave me last time. In an earlier version of the manuscript, I put you down under acknowledgements, but now that you published the methods, I am citing it as I should. Pity is the last thing I would have considered."

"Is that so?"

Sayo turned her back to Dr. Minato. A frustrated tear had rolled down her cheek and she didn't want her to see it. She hated herself. Why was she so untalented? Why was she so worthless? What even was she doing with her life?

Just when Sayo thought Dr. Minato had already left, the latter spoke again. "And I do not think your research is garbage. You may not have the most creative initial ideas, but the way you carry out your investigations is organized, reasonable, and efficient. Your protocols are robust and replicable. I highly admire your capability."

Sayo couldn't help but look back at Dr. Minato just to see what expression was on her face. Indeed, there was no pity. Her expression told Sayo that she was just reciting a solid truth.

Sayo softened her tone. "But Dr. Minato wouldn't want to be me…"

"And why would I want that? We have different expertise. My research may have higher impact stemming from higher interest in the subject currently. But that does not make your research inferior. In fact, my research cannot occur without the guidance of yours. However…"

"However?"

"What I think is unimportant. It is your research. You are the one who invested time in doing it. Therefore, you are the only one who can assign its value."

With that, Dr. Minato walked back towards her own bench. Sayo stared back at the thesis proposal on her screen. Her research. Her value. She wondered about Dr. Minato's words. Could she really come to appreciate her own work some day?

She didn't know. But for now, she would like to continue on this path that she had taken for so long, this time not for her parents, not out of spite for Hina, but for herself.

"Dr. Minato!" she shouted across the room.

"Yes?"

"I will send you the citation now. And…thank you for everything."


	4. Writer's Block!

**AN:** _(Cross-posted from AO3)_ I wish I had a girlfriend to distract me when I have a writer's block, haha. As you can probably tell by now, this fic is mainly for laughs, so beware of OOCness. Enjoy!

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, mild descriptions of physical intimacy, implied sexual relationship, comedy OOCness

* * *

 **My Girlfriend Isn't Helping With My Writer's Block!**

There were many things Sayo couldn't predict about her life.

Back when she was a teenager, "guitar" had been everything. But then came college admissions, and unlike Hina, she wasn't a genius, so she had to inevitably choose between taking more time for her studies or forgoing a post-secondary education to go straight into the music industry. If Roselia had decided to continue as a band, she might really have considered option number two, but what were the chances the three remaining seniors in their band would all opt to take such risk with their futures? Even if they had wanted to choose that path, they'd run into plenty of resistance from their families. Minato-san's grades were…well…nothing to speak about, plus her father's own music background, she was the only one to get approval to pursue a music career straight out of high school. But for everybody else, graduating from college first was an absolute must.

So Roselia disbanded after Sayo's third year. Imai-san was admitted to a college close to home, Shirokane-san decided to study abroad in France, and Sayo surprisingly made it to a highly-ranked liberal arts university in Tokyo. Seeing as Minato-san was also moving to Tokyo to pursue more opportunities there, they decided to rent an apartment together to save on the costs.

At first, they had just been roommates. At some point, Sayo started calling Minato-san "Yukina-san", and later just dropped the honorific altogether. One thing led to the next and, somehow, they ended up dating. Okay, Sayo might have lied a bit there. There might've been that one time when she came home after a long night drinking with overenthusiastic college buddies and accidentally body-slammed into the front door, waking Yukina up. As Yukina tended to her, she might've blurted out her huge crush on the former that she had kept secret since goddamn high school, and for whatever the reason it was (too sleepy to think?), Yukina accepted her barely coherent confession.

Anyway, that was a story for another time (or never. Sayo did not want to recall the embarrassment). Maybe it had been her newfound love, or her creative writing prof had just been that amazing, but soon after Sayo got into story-writing. Her stories had started out more serious in tone – historic novels on a heroic archer and the like. She convinced herself that her inspiration and goal was the greatness of Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.

Well, clearly that kind of writing was not enough to satisfy her. She would not admit it, but what she really had been itching to write about was her lovey-dovey reality. Come on, every person mad in love would want to brag all about it in front of other people, but Sayo being Sayo, there was no way she could be all giggly in-person, so she could just vent it out in writing. She finally supressed her feelings of shame to gush about her love life…projected into her fictional characters, of course. She had made sure the computer file containing those cringe-worthy words were password-protected and hidden in the most inconspicuous folder on her laptop. But that day when Imai-san had been visiting, she made the most fatal mistake of leaving the file open after forgetting to close it when she rushed to the kitchen to deal with the kettle of water she had been boiling. Of course, Imai-san would happen to read it. Sayo was never a lucky one. And what Imai-san did with the manuscript afterward was even more unpredictable. Knowing Sayo would never willingly show off her writing, Imai-san had gone behind her back to submit it to a novel contest. The judges must've been love-crazed idiots like Sayo, because they decided her victor on the merits that the love expressed was genuine, profound, and beautiful. Or in the words of a fangirl: "SOOOOOOOOooooo CUTE! Awwwwwwwwwww… My heart can't take it! I'm getting diabetes!"

So, Sayo became unwittingly promoted as one of only a handful shining new talents in the field of romantic literature. Her language arts degree from a top university (and her rather gorgeous face, one might add) only helped build her rapidly-expanding rabid fan following. As much as Sayo appreciated their support, it was stressful trying to live up to their expectations. She never intended to be a writer, much less one of sappy romance novels! How was she to fill up this blank page with something mildly acceptable before her editor came crashing down her door upon the deadline? Or worst yet, before the mob of fans came crying for her blood? She's about to die!

And Yukina had not been helping. The singer had been away on a tour the past few weeks and just came back last night. She was now lazing on the sofa with their cat, looking oh-so-cute while she "nya-ed" at it as though that'd make her speech comprehensible.

"Nya! You can't touch there, Buyo. You'll claw off my shirt!"

Oh dear…That sentence was such an unintentional innuendo it was driving Sayo nuts. And to think she had once thought her girlfriend was the epitome of an ice queen – said ice thawed to a puddle of silly goo the moment a cat came in sight. Thankfully, Buyo got bored quickly enough and stalked off for food much to Yukina's dismay. Yukina then decided to take a bath, finally leaving Sayo in peace for a total of twenty minutes.

Just when Sayo managed to type a single satisfactory sentence on her document, Yukina re-emerged from the hall in nothing but a white satin robe. Okay, the temperature lately had been rising from the impending summer. Sleeping in a satin robe wasn't exactly insensible. The least Yukina could do was to dry her hair properly, but being the clutz that Sayo now knew her to be, she dried only the top of her head and left the ends wet enough that it was soaking her robe and making parts of it…well…translucent. Sayo knew she shouldn't be looking. Stare at the monitor instead. Stare at the monitor instead. But the sounds Yukina was making in the kitchen was too distracting for her not to look. Okay, at least try to observe what Yukina was doing instead of ogling her chest damn it!

Yukina was struggling with the coffee-maker. Sayo didn't know why the hell Yukina thought lifting it up and staring at the empty pot from bottom up would help the situation, but that was what she was doing now and Sayo knew any minute that pot would tumble out of Yukina's hands to shatter on the ground and cost them another four thousand yen to replace. Sighing, she abandoned her manuscript for the time-being to go over and salvage the pot before it was too late.

"Here, let me," Sayo said to Yukina, who looked very perplexed, still holding the coffee maker while standing much too close to the counter for Sayo to squeeze in and catch the pot from the other side. This left Sayo with no other option but to reach around Yukina to hold the pot, bringing her way too close to her girlfriend to help her distraction. Ah…Yukina smelled nice. Was this the new shampoo she brought home from her trip? Her hair felt softer too. Shit! Why was Sayo nuzzling Yukina's head instead of dealing with the coffee maker and then going back to work!?

Sayo put the coffee maker back on the counter and plugged it in. That had been the problem. Yukina hadn't even plugged it in, so of course it wouldn't turn on.

"Ah, it's working now," Yukina remarked.

Sayo sighed again. "You have to remember to plug it in next time."

"Okay."

Off Sayo went back to her desk where she sat there sulking. So many things she would like to do now instead of writing this piece of garbage. Alas, humans needed to eat, so she needed to make money, and making money meant submitting this to her editor…ugh. Where did her sense of responsibility go? Did it vanish with her musical career into the land of dreams? Was this what colleges did to their students – make them worthless societal trash?

As Sayo pondered her self-worth, Yukina came by with her freshly-brewed coffee. She leaned back on Sayo's desk, crossing one leg over the other, bending over to take a look at what was on Sayo's screen. Gravity made Yukina's robe part a little, revealing more skin under Yukina's collarbone, smooth and supple tainted faintly pink from the heat of her bath. Sayo couldn't stand it anymore.

Sayo stood up and towered over Yukina, her gaze turning predatory. Yukina looked confused, offering Sayo her coffee.

"Did you want some?"

"You know _exactly_ what I want, and it's not that."

Sayo could afford to be trash tonight. Manuscript be damned, she was starting her feast _now_!

Yukina only had enough time to put down her coffee before Sayo pounced. "Unn!" she moaned from Sayo's wild kiss, her lips being pried open by Sayo's tongue. Yukina usually prided herself on the capacity of her lungs, but Sayo wasn't giving her much chance to breathe at all; despite all her efforts to suck and swallow the saliva between them, it was dripping from the corner of her mouth. Sayo's weight was crushing her too - feeling faint and weak, she could no longer support it, falling back onto the desk and thankfully only knocking over Sayo's box of snacks instead of the cup of hot coffee. A pack of "Toppu" biscuits fell to the ground; nothing else would make a better metaphor for Sayo now. Before she realized what was happening, Yukina's back was flat on the desk, the belt on her robe had become so loose that she might as well not be wearing it at all. Sayo kept pulling on the belt in one hand, her other hand roaming all over, and her mouth was busying leaving hickeys on Yukina's neck. Oh yeah, Yukina was getting "topped" alright. She never had the chance to even know why!

Or did she? Hours later in their bedroom, with Sayo now sound asleep, Yukina would let out a secret grin to herself.

She edged closer and cuddled into Sayo's chest.

"Just as planned."

She made sure to thank Shirasagi-san for her acting lessons in the morning.


	5. The Lowliest God

**AN:** _(Cross-posted from AO3)_

I've had this idea for a while, so I couldn't help but write it even though I haven't finished that drinking fic yet. This fic was designed to mirror Sayo's thoughts about Yukina when they first met and what propelled her to join Roselia, although in the end I think I took quite a bit of liberty and included a lot of elements from much later in the canon plotline. It is an AU so I suppose it can't be helped.

I would also like to note the terminology I used in this fic. "God" refers to a species, similar to "humans". I chose not to use the gendered term "goddess" to refer to female gods in this story for simplicity. Also, if anybody is wondering (not!), I modelled God Sayo after her appearance in the NFO event.

 **Tags:** non-graphic violence, magic AU, god!Sayo has a sword, mage!Yukina, self-esteem issues, self-hatred, mentions of Hina and Minato Papa, not really romance but is open to interpretation

* * *

 **The Lowliest God and the Most Fearless Human**

Yukina mumbled a spell that lighted up the paper talisman in her hand. Electricity gathered and formed a sizzling ball that she hurled at her enemy. Too slow. It was cut in half by the enemy's sword that kept slashing forward with the momentum. Yukina tried to dodge, but she could not evade cleanly. The sword nicked her shoulder - the magic energy that coursed through it made a much heavier hit, sending her flying. She desperately protected her neck as she fell and rolled on the ground. She managed to avoid a major injury, but it was clear that she could no longer continue this duel.

As Yukina struggled to get up, her opponent stood over her, sword pointing at Yukina's neck.

"You lose again, Human."

"That is right," Yukina answered plainly. She glared up to the pair of grass-green eyes overlooking her. Her enemy met the gaze with equal coldness.

"You aren't going to deny your defeat?"

"What is there to deny? Your sword is on my throat."

Her enemy snorted but lowered the sword. "Why, then, must you be so stubborn? You are a human. I am a god. A human cannot defeat a god. It is impossible."

"I will make the impossible possible."

"How?"

"With my life."

The god laughed. "Your life is worth nothing. You mortals expire like morning dew shed from the leaves; a fleeting spark in a universe that has lasted so long you can never grasp a concept of its age."

Yukina's expression did not change. There was neither anger nor bitterness at the god's jibe.

"So?" – was all she said.

"So even if you lay down your life you will still find no victory. Is that not clear to you after all this time you have challenged me?"

Ever since her father's most precious "possession" had been taken away by the gods, Yukina had ventured to the Heavenly Plane to retrieve it. This god was the gatekeeper. She had never been able to defeat her. Not even close.

"So long as I live, I will keep trying."

"Are you telling me to kill you?" the god asked.

"The sword is in your hands. I am at your mercy."

The god stared down at her for two more seconds. After perhaps some pondering, she returned the sword to her sheath and turned to walk away.

"Killing you would only sully my sword. Be grateful you can leave again with your life, Human."

* * *

Humans were a greedy race, perhaps it was because they had been created in the semblance of their creators.

The gods had given them more than they would ever need, yet they found the necessity to war with each other. Those who already had it all were still not content with enjoying those riches throughout their lives – they sought to keep the riches forever by seeking immortality. The First Sorcerer was one such man. He stole the Elixir of Souls from the Heavenly Plane and consumed it. He would not achieve immortality with this act – the elixir's power too strong for him to bear and would later take his life – but he passed on the propensity for mage craft in his blood.

This blood still ran in the Minato Family, long after their riches were depleted, and they had been relegated to peasantry. Minato Ryuunosuke was a humble man who used his craft to treat the ill. For those who were beyond saving even by powers that were originally divine, he would sing for them – his beautiful voice eased their passing. His voice caught the envy of the gods. When he refused to sing at a banquet on the Heavenly Plane, his voice was taken away by its king, and he was left to live on in despair.

From that day onwards, Minato Yukina lived solely to reclaim her father's voice.

Yukina was talented in mage craft, but she had thus far only followed in her father's footsteps as a healer. She was physically weak and clumsy – completely unfit to fight. Still, she willed herself to take up dueling, compensating what she lacked in muscle strength with powerful magic. The road leading up to the Heavenly Plane was not one mortals should follow. She had plowed through the territory of rare beasts and finally reached the Heavenly Plane's gates. It did not matter how many times she had to challenge the gatekeeper – she would do it until she could push past her or die trying.

This was the twentieth time she had fought the gatekeeper. Based on her research, fire and light spells should be most effective. Yukina cast fire at the gatekeeper, but the attack was dodged, scorching nothing but earth. She kept at it, throwing stream after stream of flames. The gatekeeper was too fast though, her movements untraceable by eye. She flashed before Yukina, sword sweeping for her head. Yukina ducked by only a hairsbreadth. She forced her weary feet to step back, putting distance between the gatekeeper and herself so she could heave much needed breaths.

"Fiery today, aren't you?" the gatekeeper noted. Yukina smirked.

"Fire and light are the weaknesses for a god of the night, am I right, Sayo?"

The gatekeeper's expression changed. Never had Yukina seen the calm disappear from her porcelain-like features to be replaced by such rage.

"How…how do you know my name?"

Yukina heart pounded in fear, but she did not let it show. "I found it strange that one as powerful as you would take on the lowliest job on the Heavenly Plane, so I searched and searched for an answer. At long last I found it. You are one of the twin gods who keep our time, the Patron of the Night who ran away from the Inner Court because you could not bear to be a mere mirror of your sister, the Sun…"

"Be quiet."

The sword that had nearly taken her head just moments ago now swung even faster. Yukina realized that all the times they had previously fought, it had never been Sayo's intention to hurt her. But this had changed. This was the god's true power – Yukina could no longer catch even a glimpse of Sayo's attacks. She could only duck by instinct. "Be quiet, be quiet, be quiet, be quiet!" the god chanted. Yukina felt the wind stir by her side and brought her staff up just in time to narrowly deflect Sayo's blade – its tip slid off the staff to clip her throat, sending blood pouring. She had to back off. The next attack would not be so merciful. But like Sayo had said more times than once, she was a god, Yukina was a human. A human could not move like a god. It was not possible.

Sayo's sword plunged into Yukina's body. She only noticed when the pain hit her. She saw Sayo's eyes widen in shock, her hands slipping from the sword that remained skewered through Yukina even as she fell. The expression reminded Yukina of herself on that night when her father returned home voiceless – one of guilt and helplessness.

"We're alike, aren't we?" Yukina muttered. It had become too painful to breathe. She was dying, but she felt strangely at peace.

Maybe she had never truly believed that she would be the one to turn impossible to possible. On the surface, it appeared that she was courageous. But like Sayo, she was just running away from a past she could not accept, chasing a dream that could not be.

* * *

It was bright. Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced them open to survey the surroundings. She was staring into a wooden ceiling. Light was pouring in from the window beside her.

"You're awake."

Yukina turned her head towards the sound of the voice. Sayo was seated on her other side; she closed the book she had been reading and put it on her lap.

"Where am I?" Yukina asked.

"Not the Land of the Dead, if that is what you are concerned about. It is no difficult task to preserve your life."

So Sayo had saved her. "Why?"

"Should you not just be grateful?"

Sayo stood. She flung her hair behind her so it fell down her armoured back. The light shone on the turquoise lengths and made them seem to gleam. Bright. Powerful. There was something different about the way Sayo now carried herself, like she had found a new meaning to her existence. She turned slightly so she met Yukina's eyes once again.

"I will follow you, Minato."

"Follow…me?"

"Your quest to retrieve your father's voice. I swear to support you through it. We will carve our path forward, together."

What lay ahead on their journey was what no one could predict. But Sayo would not let Yukina run away again, and in turn, she too would have to walk forward without ever turning back. They might not find what they came seeking; still, they would at least find themselves, and a bond in one another.


	6. The Magic Circle of Sweets

**AN:** Wrote this really late last night. IMO it's a little sloppy. Sorry about that. (Cross-posted on AO3)

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, pointless yuri fluff

* * *

 **The Magic Circle of Sweets**

Yukina had a ritual.

Whenever she worked on her musical compositions, she must have two things in hand – her trusted cat-shaped pillow and an abundance of sweets that she'd lay out around her in a magic circle of sorts. The pillow was great. Usually, she was lying on it, staring up at the ceiling as her brain racked for ideas. Sometimes she'd hug it instead for some variety, maybe squish the cat ears while she was at it. When she was really frustrated, she'd smack her head repeatedly into the fluff – whatever worked to clear her mind. The sweets were also good for that – to replenish the sugar in her brain. Yukina would not admit that she was also a little superstitious about the placement of the candy around her. She would sometimes shift one a little to the left, put one on the floor instead of on the couch... The perfect alignment would spark this weird creative energy within her, giving her the perfect notes and the perfect words to fill the blanks. Then again, when she wanted to eat a candy within her magic circle, she would still do it. More wasn't always the better. It was about the perfect balance of powers between the chocolate toffee and the salted caramel.

Sayo watched Yukina from where she was in the kitchen drying the last of the dishes from dinner. Yukina had just taken the vanilla crème ball from where it lay on her right side and popped it into her mouth, then proceeded to chew on it with her eyes closed, arms crossed over her chest like an Egyptian mummy. It was such a bizarre display, but Sayo found it endearing nonetheless. Few others would ever witness Yukina like this – maybe only her closest family and the rest of Roselia during their occasional training camps. But as her girlfriend, Sayo got to see this often. The way Yukina felt so comfortable around her to show her this eccentric side was such a warm thought that it made Sayo want to dote on Yukina even more than usual.

Sayo walked over quietly and knelt by Yukina's side. Yukina didn't seem to have noticed. Sayo took out the new grape soda candy she had bought from the convenience store on her way home and placed it next to Yukina where the vanilla crème ball had been. With that, she soundlessly retreated to her own rocking chair on the other side of the room and opened a book to read.

After a while, Yukina opened her eyes and crawled to a sitting position to jot something on her notebook. She hadn't written much, maybe a single line at most before she put down her pen and shoved her head into the cat pillow on her lap. Sayo peeked from behind her book. She would help if she could, but if it were something that could use Sayo's opinion, Yukina would've already asked. For the time being, all she could do was wait. Yukina finally lifted her head from the pillow and scanned the candy that surrounded her. After staring long and hard between Sayo's grape soda candy and the champagne gummies she left by her knees, she picked up the grape soda candy and ate it.

Sayo's eyes were trained on Yukina now. She subconsciously held her breath, wondering whether Yukina would like the candy she left her. After sucking on the candy for a moment, Yukina smiled. She took up her notebook again and this time wrote something quite lengthy on it. Sayo couldn't help but smile too. Yukina had liked her candy. It had given her inspiration. That was more than Sayo could've asked for.

Sayo made a note to ask Lisa for recipes on Yukina's favourite sweets so she could make them for her next time she was writing again. When she found the chance to bring it up with Lisa, Lisa gave her a recipe for coffee caramel chews.

"Don't let Yukina eat too many though. It's unhealthy," Lisa had said.

"Of course. Do you not think I am a rational person, Imai-san?"

"Not when food is concerned. You should watch your sodium intake too, Sayo. Those fries aren't healthy for you either."

And to think Lisa had always complained about Sayo being all teacher-like when they were younger. Lisa had always been a mom friend and this never changed even into adulthood!

But Sayo thanked Lisa's recipe anyway. Yukina was having dinner with her family that night, which gave Sayo some time to make the candy. Sugar, syrup, honey, instant coffee and butter melted over a pan, then stirred with vanilla and caramel before setting. After cutting them to bite-sized squares, Sayo dipped them in chocolate as a finishing touch. She wrapped them neatly in mint-green wrappers bearing white snowflake patterns. Perfect. She was rather pleased by her first attempt at this.

As Sayo had expected, Yukina returned to songwriting once she was back home – she said that she had been making good progress and would like to complete the song soon so that they could add it to their setlist in two weeks. Yukina had taken her cat pillow out. The sweets were scattered over the couch and onto the floor and the low table beside her. She had set up her laptop and guitar and her notebook was opened to the page she had last left it. Time to work. Once again, Sayo accompanied her from the other side of the living room. Tonight, she had taken to playing Neo Fantasy Online with Rinko and Ako while she waited.

"Ugh…" Sayo heard Yukina groan. She must've encountered quite a block, because she was clutching the cat pillow over her head while her face was planted on the couch. Sayo took out her freshly-made chocolate caramel chews and slipped one on the couch's handrest. She then returned to her seat to continue playing NFO, but looked up from time to time to check whether Yukina had taken the candy yet. At long last, Yukina reached for it. She just stared at it at first, but did end up unwrapping and eating it. "Delicious…" Sayo heard her mutter. This alone made all of Sayo's efforts worthwhile.

The clock struck midnight. Sayo exited her game and walked over to the back of the couch. She reached down to squeeze Yukina's shoulders. "It is getting late. Will you be going to bed soon?"

"Un. You can use the bath first, Sayo. I'm just finishing up here."

"Alright. Don't overwork yourself."

Yukina nodded. Just as Sayo was about to turn to walk towards the bathroom, she felt resistance on her sleeve. Yukina was clutching it.

"Do you need something, Minato-san?"

Yukina answered by moving up to press her lips against Sayo's. The touch was fleeting. By the time Sayo realized what was happening, Yukina had already let her go and returned to her work.

"Thank you for the coffee candy. It was very sweet."

Sayo touched a finger to her lips. _What could be sweeter than you, Minato-san?_ – she mused.


	7. Pain, Pain, Go Away

**AN:** Really short fluffy piece. I like writing about Yukinya being taken care of... (Cross-posted on AO3)

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, soft yuri fluff

* * *

 **Pain, Pain, Go Away**

Sayo understood Yukina well.

They were equally headstrong. Few things could stop them from plowing through a practice session. They'd continue rain or snow, even when they were sick – as Yukina was likely doing now. Yukina was fair-skinned as it was. Today she was so pale that she looked almost lifeless. And the sweat that beaded on her forehead didn't seem to be from exertion. She wiped it away and returned her hand to the mic, gripping it so hard that Sayo could see the white of her knuckles. Her voice quivered on the next note. In her worry, Sayo messed up, playing instead a sound that fell loudly and dissonantly against Rinko's arpeggios. Ako dropped her stick in shock, and Lisa let out a whimpered "ouch" when she somehow got her finger caught on the strings.

"I apologize for my mistake," Sayo said right away when their practice halted.

Lisa shook her head. "It isn't your fault, Sayo. We're all distracted today."

Rinko nodded, following Ako's gaze towards Yukina who was oddly silent throughout this conversation. Yukina's hand was still on the mic, her body bent forward to lean against the stand.

"Yukina-san, are you alright?" Ako finally said what was on all their minds.

Yukina straightened her back a little. "I am sorry for being a distraction. If I may have five minutes, I will recover my condition…"

Her voice trailed off weakly. Both Sayo and Lisa rushed to her side.

"You shouldn't push yourself like this, Yukina," Lisa said.

"That's right. Let's go home to rest, Minato-san. There is no way this practice session will be productive given your current condition," Sayo added.

Yukina begrudgingly agreed, not without first claiming that this was really "no big deal" and that she'd be "fine" in a moment. Sayo did not try arguing with her. When they were alone in Sayo's car, Sayo took out her water bottle and the Calonal tablets she brought along today and handed them to Yukina.

"It is that time of the month, right? I brought these along just in case."

"Thank you." Yukina took a tablet while Sayo started up the car. She slipped the water bottle into the drinks holder and sighed. "With this, I should be good to continue practice. Why did you have to stop me?"

Sayo didn't answer her immediately, concentrating on pulling the car out of the parking slot. Once they were on the road, she said, "You need to rest, Minato-san. The reason why your cramps are this bad is because you have been too stressed lately. It happens every time you overwork yourself."

"I do not want to hear this from the person who most often overworks."

Sayo let out a rare chuckle. When they came to a stop light, she turned slightly to show Yukina her smile.

"I suppose we are a little alike in this respect," she said while giving Yukina's hand a gentle squeeze before returning to the steering wheel.

A short ride later, they had arrived home. Sayo helped Yukina out of the car and down the hall to the elevator of their apartment complex. Yukina let her, though she showed an exasperated expression. "I am fine, really."

"Are you now? Your hand is still shaking."

"Just takes a while before the medicine takes effect."

"Then let me take care of you just a little longer, okay?"

There was little anyone could do to change Sayo's mind when she was like this. Yukina must have known this well, for she did not continue the protest. Yukina lay down in bed once they were home. Being in a curled position, nice and warm under the blankets, might have eased the cramps a little, for the furrow of her brows had relaxed slightly. Sayo soon came back to the bedroom with a filled warm water bottle.

"Exactly what I need," Yukina noted with a smile. She put it over her tummy immediately. It would worked instantly for Sayo – probably the same for Yukina too by the looks of her expression. Sayo found some confidence in her own actions.

"Of course I would know what you'd need, Minato-san."

Sayo got into bed and propped Yukina against her. Sitting semi-reclined was usually more comfortable, and Sayo took care to hold Yukina close to keep her warm. She stroked her hand down Yukina's hair, gently working away any knots in the lengths.

"Imai-san just gave me a text and said she'd bring some nabe over later. Eating something warm should help with the cramps."

"Un…"

Yukina eyes drifted close. Sayo must be right – Yukina had been very tired. But right that moment, their cat decided to patter into the bedroom and leapt up onto the bed where the warm water bottle was lying on Yukina's belly. Sayo groaned a little.

"Buyo, now isn't the time to bother Minato-san…" she said to the cat. Yukina stifled a giggle.

"It is okay, Sayo. Buyo's weight feels very nice actually."

Yukina ran her fingers through Buyo's fur. He shifted his head to nudge it against Yukina's palm while purring. The cuteness alone was probably enough for Yukina to forget the pain, being the extreme cat-lover that she was. She brought her hand under Buyo's chin and started scratching him there. He reached his paws playfully around Yukina's forearm.

Sayo watched them intently. She subconsciously tightened her arms around Yukina, making Yukina look up at her questioningly.

"Sayo?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you want something?"

"No. Nothing in particular," Sayo denied, looking away in embarrassment. She did not just get jealous over a cat. That was ridiculous.

Deny as she might, Yukina seemed to understand what Sayo was thinking anyway. She reached a hand up to Sayo and stroked the side of her face. Though Yukina's expression was still rather passive, Sayo recognized a soft fondness in her eyes. She lowered herself to touch Yukina's lips with her own.

They broke their brief kiss and Yukina went back to petting their cat while Sayo rested her head on Yukina's shoulder. It had started raining outside - pitter-patter against the window panes. The glass fogged up a little, evidence of how cold the temperature had dropped with night. But here between the two girlfriends and their cat, it was very warm. This must be the feeling of home.


	8. Drunken Nights, Future Days

**AN:** I just wanted to write a YukiSayo drinking fic and it turned sillier and sillier with each part. I give up trying to make them in character at this point, lol. This is cross-posted on AO3.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, excessive drinking, drunken confessions, drunken kissing, pining, sharing a bed, comedy OOCness

* * *

 **Drunken Nights, Future Days**

I: Of Sayo and Beer

It all started on a Tuesday.

Tuesday was the day of fire. And they had just finished a successful live that night, so as per Roselia tradition they held a celebratory party at a yakiniku restaurant.

Yukina had little patience for grilling meats. When Ako enthusiastically dumped half the wagyu in their first order onto the grill, Yukina followed suit with the rest before Lisa could stop her. They nearly set their table on fire. The two were banned from the grill for the rest of the night, with Lisa taking over instead. She was now placing the horumon onto the grill, Yukina watching intently, entranced by the way it jumped as it sizzled over the fire.

"Yukina, don't just watch the horumon. Have a piece of karubi too," Lisa said.

Yukina turned and opened her mouth for Lisa to feed her the piece of boneless short ribs. It was soaked to perfection with Yukina's favourite sweet barbecue sauce. As Yukina licked the last of the sauce off Lisa's chopsticks, she heard a loud clink emit from beside her.

Sayo had set her empty beer glass rather loudly onto the table. Even Rinko, who had been gobbling away silently the whole time, looked up at her to see what was wrong. Yukina did a quick count of the number of beer glasses in front of Sayo. Eight. Sayo's plate remained largely clean and empty.

"One more! Give me one more beer!" Sayo called at no one in particular. She tried to stand up to get the attention of the waitress, but Yukina pulled her back down.

"You are drinking too much, Sayo."

"What else _-hic-_ do you expect me to do _-hic-_ , Minato-shaaan…?"

"What do you mean by…"

Before Yukina could finish her sentence, Sayo dropped her head onto Yukina's shoulder and leaned her weight against her side. Too close. Her sleek hair fell over Yukina's arm and it tickled; the sensation gave Yukina a funny feeling in her tummy and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. Maybe it was the alcohol. Yukina only had two small cups of rice wine, but she wasn't exactly strong when it came to drinking.

"Sayo, you can't sleep here," Yukina said, nudging Sayo with her free hand but to no avail. Sayo kept clinging to her other arm, refusing to let go.

Watching them, Lisa suggested, "Should we just call it a night and help get Sayo home?"

"We do not need four people to transport one person. I can handle this."

Yukina tried hulling Sayo up. Not working. Ignoring their height difference, Yukina was also notoriously unfit. She couldn't even stand with Sayo weighing her down. Lisa gave a series of awkward chuckles, Rinko looked concerned, and Ako might've quirked a questioning eyebrow. Yukina remained undeterred. She mumbled to Sayo. "You need to stand up. I can't take you home otherwise."

"…if Minato-shaaan says so…" Sayo muttered and, without warning, shot up, towing Yukina along like she was the cape on their stage costume. Then Sayo wobbled. Yukina tried her best to keep her balance, her arm still wrenched in Sayo's grasp.

"No. Sayo. Stop. You're walking in the wrong direction. Just follow me. No, not like that…"

Yukina hastily left some cash on the table for Sayo and herself and then struggled to transport the both of them out of the restaurant, the other Roselia members staring after them until they were out of sight. Lisa probably knew Yukina's stubbornness too well to follow outside, leaving them now alone on the street.

Yukina considered grabbing a taxi to get to Sayo's apartment, but upon deeper thought, she had no idea where Sayo kept her keys and she wasn't confident that Sayo would sober up enough by then to fish it out herself. Yukina's own apartment was within walking distance. She supposed that was a better option.

But it was hard walking like this. The usual five-minute walk had already dragged on for fifteen. Sayo nudged her head into Yukina's shoulder. It felt so strange. Yukina was caught between the urge to hug Sayo closer, or to push her away.

"Minato-shaaan…"

"What is it?"

"Do you hate me?"

Yukina narrowed her eyes. "What are you even talking about?"

"I…I made a mistake during the live today… _-hic-_ and then, and then, Minato-shaaan glared at me…"

"Did I?"

It must've been something very minor, because Yukina could not pinpoint exactly what Sayo was talking about. Maybe it was that slightly muddied chord in _Hidamari Rhodonite_ or something…but Yukina certainly hadn't been glaring at Sayo. She had been concentrating too hard on getting her own singing perfect.

But Sayo ignored Yukina's reply. "…I'm…I'm so useless…"

"You sure are being useless now. Try to put at least some weight on your own feet. You are crushing me!"

"Eheheh…" Sayo gave some bitter chuckles, pulling Yukina's arm even closer to herself in a death grip. She tilted her head up to look Yukina in the eyes, her nose brushing Yukina's chin in the process. "…is…is that why our recent songs are all bass-heavy? _-hic-_ I'm only good enough to be an accessory?"

"That's not…" Yukina was about to explain, then thought better of it because the current Sayo certainly did not deserve an explanation. "If you cannot manage your condition any better than this then you aren't even fit to be an accessory."

Sayo slipped down onto the ground and squatted with her arms hugging her own knees. It made her look like a desperate child. Yukina might have relented a little. She kneeled by her side and ran a hand down Sayo's back, saying in a slightly softer voice. "You can't sit here, Sayo. Get up. We're going home."

"Mi…Minato-shaaan is sooo mean."

"Yes, yes. And I don't know why I'm even bothering to get you off the street. I am so mean I should just leave you sitting here."

"…but I still like you so much. It hurts."

Yukina didn't know what Sayo meant. Like her? They had known each other for six years now, and their professional relationship had long transitioned to friendship. At least that was what Yukina thought. While she never considered herself particularly likeable, she did hope that Sayo liked her enough to think her as a friend in return. But what did she mean by "it hurts"? Why would it hurt to like Yukina? What did Yukina do wrong?

"You are being nonsensical," Yukina concluded, pulling on Sayo's hand to get her to stand. "Just get up. You can't squat on the street like this forever."

After some struggle, Yukina finally managed to drag Sayo's arm over her shoulders and half carry her the rest of the way to her apartment. It was a struggle to unlock and open the front door. She squeezed the both of them through and then kicked the door close behind them.

"Minato-shaaan…"

Sayo somehow shoved herself in front of Yukina and draped her other arm around Yukina's neck as well so that she now hung on like an oversized koala.

"What?" Yukina said, exasperated. It was much too late at night and she was much too tired. Ten more steps and they would find a bed. Why couldn't Sayo wait until then to whine?

But she did anyway. "Do you hate me?" Sayo asked again.

"No," Yukina gave a shorter answer this time. She figured a drunk wouldn't understand anything more complex. And to be honest, her own brain was getting cloudy from sleep deprivation and the influence of those two cups of sake she drank. She couldn't come up with something witty to say for the life of her…

"Then…then…do you like me?"

Yukina closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes."

Sayo stayed silent for a bit and became compliant enough for Yukina to drag her the rest of the way to the bed. She plopped Sayo down, then laid down beside her in absolute exhaustion. If she had been less tired, she might have pulled out the futon from her closet to sleep on that instead. As it stood, she was too tired to even take off her socks.

Just when Yukina was about to close her eyes, Sayo rolled over and pinned her against the bed. She snapped her eyes wide and stared at Sayo's face, flushed from alcohol and perhaps some shyness, judging by her expression.

"If Minato-shaaan likes me, then…then…is it okay if I kiss you?"

What?

It took two seconds for Yukina's groggy brain to connect the dots on what Sayo just said. It was true she liked Sayo, but she said that as in…liked her as a friend. She hadn't considered liking her another way!

Sayo's face was nearing. Yukina had a split second to decide what to do. That time expired quickly and she found Sayo's lips on her own. The feeling was not unpleasant. Sayo's lips were soft, and she moved gently. Yukina instinctively closed her eyes and reciprocated, her brain shutting down to let her body run on autopilot.

Lisa had once described to Yukina her first kiss as tasting like cotton candy. She talked about how passionate it had been, how deep the connection ran. Yukina's kiss with Sayo was a much simpler affair. It lasted maybe five seconds and tasted like…nothing – it had just been a light press of lips after all. But when Sayo finally let Yukina go and rolled over once again to cuddle contently by her side, Yukina was left in utter confusion. What just happened? Why was her heart beating so fast? Did she really like Sayo _that_ way too?

The clock read 1 am. She had been awake for twenty hours already. There was no way she could ponder such complicated questions now, so she tried her best to calm down and sleep. It did take another ten minutes or so before her heart decided to return to normal, but soon after the exhaustion kicked in and she drifted asleep.

…

The sounds of something shifting beside her woke Yukina from her sleep. She rolled over and opened her eyes a little to see what was going on. Sayo had sat up halfway on the bed, her left hand still supporting her weight while her right was clenched over her forehead. She was groaning. Serves her right.

"Morning," Yukina greeted. Sayo nearly jumped at her voice, turning around to stare at her in shock.

"Mi…Minato-san!?"

"Seeing as you are finally pronouncing my name right, I suppose you are now sober?"

"I…I…" Sayo swerved around to survey the surroundings, then returned her gaze to the bed she was sharing with Yukina. Her face turned bright red. "What…what did I do last night?"

"You were a bother. You were screaming in the restaurant. I dragged you out and you squatted in fetal position in the middle of the street. I had to drag you some more till we got here. You still owe me four thousand yen for dinner."

Sayo looked very apologetic, but more than that, her face was still tense with apprehension. "Umm…did I do anything else?"

And Sayo kissed her, but Yukina wasn't about to mention it seeing as Sayo clearly forgot all about it. Stupid drunk.

"Was the list of your atrocities not enough?" Yukina said instead.

Sayo bowed down so low she planted her face into the sheets. "I am very, very sorry."

"Whatever…" Yukina muttered, crawling under her covers again. It was a rare day off today for the band, so nothing was stopping her from sleeping in. Sayo seemed very determined to bother her though. She spoke again.

"Minato-san?"

"What?"

"Umm…is there something I can do for you to make up for all the trouble I caused?"

Yukina sighed. "I don't know. Pay me back the four thousand yen?"

"Of course! Would you also like breakfast perhaps?"

Yukina heard from Lisa that Sayo would occasionally stop by her place to exchange cooking tips. Apparently Sayo's recipes were more varied than just hamburger and fries and reportedly tasted rather decent too. This made Sayo's idea more enticing than Yukina expected – it would be a welcome change from the egg sandwich at the café downstairs.

"Sure. Feel free to use whatever is in my fridge."

With that, Sayo left the room and Yukina was about to catch another few winks of sleep before breakfast was ready, but Sayo reappeared in a minute with an awkward smile on her face.

"Minato-san?"

"What is it again?"

"Your fridge…there isn't anything in it."

Yukina scowled. "There is milk."

"Only milk. And milk is not solid food. It is a drink."

"It is delicious," Yukina replied indignantly. Sayo gave a few strange chuckles.

"Anyway, I just wanted to inform you that I will be going down to the grocery store to buy some items. May I have the keys please?"

"I think I left it on that table over there," Yukina said while dragging her arm out from the covers to point at the table in question. Cold. She quickly shoved her arm under the covers again and curled up into a ball to recover the body heat.

"Alright. I will be back soon."

Yukina could finally go back to sleep. She didn't know how long she had napped for until she was awoken by delicious aromas from the kitchen. She put a long robe over her clothes - now completely crumpled from how she had slept on them all night - and waddled out of her room to the kitchen where Sayo was pan-frying some sausages.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Sayo said.

Yukina nodded, staring at the sausages. Would it be a bad idea if she picked one up from the pan and popped it into her mouth now? Probably. She'd burn herself.

"I will set up the table," she said to distract herself. She set off to put placemats on her dining table and left appropriate utensils on them. Perfect. She then sat down and waited for Sayo to bring the food along.

Sayo came with the food soon after. Fluffy pancakes topped with syrup, fresh fruit, and a generous serving of whipped cream. Honey-glazed sausages served on the side. Mugs full of hot coffee, Yukina's with plenty of milk and sugar. Everything was made to Yukina's liking.

"How does it taste?" Sayo asked after Yukina started on the food.

"Delicious," she answered honestly.

"That is good. So…forgive my curiosity - what does Minato-san usually eat?"

"A sandwich combo at the café downstairs."

Sayo already knew what Yukina had for lunch, seeing as the band usually had lunch together. It was microwavable bento boxes. "And dinner?" Sayo asked.

"Beef bowls. There is a shop across the street."

"That can't be healthy for you if you eat it everyday."

"It can't be helped." At this, Yukina looked away with some embarrassment. "I can't cook."

"You haven't thought about learning how to cook even after having moved out to live alone?"

"Lisa used to cook for me, so I didn't have to learn. But now that she is seeing someone, she can't always come by to eat with me…"

"Imai-san is…dating someone!?"

Sayo's surprise made Yukina quirk an eyebrow. "It happened relatively recently, so I suppose she has not told you yet? I don't think she is keeping it a secret."

"I see…" Sayo's expression turned somewhat awkward. She struggled a little before continuing. "So, what does Minato-san think about Imai-san's new relationship?"

"What do I think?" Yukina was perplexed. "It is none of my business, right? Why do you ask?"

"Well…I…I thought Minato-san was against Roselia members dating. You know, because we are trying to reach the top and all, so we don't have that much time to ourselves…"

Yukina never said anything about dating, specifically. Sayo must have misunderstood. But just as Yukina was about to explain, a different thought struck her – if Sayo had thought she was so against a relationship, then why did she kiss her last night? This thought was pointless. Very unlike Yukina's usual self. But somehow, it managed to make her extremely irritated.

"I will leave it to Lisa to control her own condition. I, myself, do not have the time for such frivolous matters as dating. I would suggest that you carefully consider what you do with your free time as well, seeing as your confidence in your own skill was so low that you found the need to get so drunk over it last night." Yukina pushed her chair back with a loud squeak and stood up abruptly. "I am done. Thanks for the meal. I will take care of the dishes. You are free to go if you are done as well."

She walked back to the kitchen with her own dishes, her steps a little louder than usual.

This was all her fault. Stupid Sayo.

* * *

II: Of Yukina and Sake

Yukina was not in good shape at their next practice. The guitar sounded so irritating to her ears. She tried to nitpick it but couldn't - Sayo's performance was textbook precise that day. While she was distracted by Sayo's riffs she could hardly pay attention to the others, or herself for that matter. In their last song, she had sung the lyrics for the first verse when they were on the second and hadn't noticed until Lisa whispered to her.

"Let's take a break, Yukina," Lisa said.

"Why?"

"You sang the wrong lyrics and everybody is wondering how to let you know. Can't you see the way Rinko is trying not to stare at you?"

Yukina looked away and grumbled, "Fine."

Lisa addressed the others. "Let's take a fifteen minutes break, shall we? I'll be at the café outside with Yukina if you need us."

"What?" Yukina was about to protest, but Lisa had already dragged her out. She glared at Lisa, who told her to first take a seat while she bought two coffees. Yukina took the coffee Lisa offered, but her expression remained one of annoyance.

"Don't be like that, Yukina. Aren't you happy to spend some quality time with me?"

"If you have something to say, just say it."

"Okay, okay. So…" Lisa sat closer and wrapped an arm around Yukina's shoulders, "…did you get into a fight with Sayo?"

"There is no such thing." Yukina's rebuke was instantaneous.

"Aren't you a little defensive?"

"Think what you want. I gave my answer."

Lisa completely ignored Yukina's reply. "Did something happen between Sayo and you after the yakiniku party last time?"

"No."

"Really?"

Yukina's glare intensified. "What is your point?"

"I don't know…but Sayo and you were a little weird today."

"I'm fine."

Lisa sighed. "…Let's just talk about Sayo then. Haven't you noticed how tired she looked today?"

The statement was of genuine concern but it felt like a thorn to Yukina. She might've been a bit guilty about what she said to Sayo last time, which probably led to Sayo practising the entire night or something…

"…She was playing fine."

Lisa narrowed her eyes at Yukina's weak statement. "So something did happen?" When Yukina didn't answer, Lisa shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to force you to tell me about it, but if you did something mean to Sayo, you should probably apologize."

"I don't need you to tell me what to do."

"Yes, yes. I know you'll do the right thing in the end." Lisa let go of Yukina and sat back on her seat to sip on her coffee. "By the way, Moca said that she saw you at the beef bowl place again. You can't eat beef bowls every night, you know? Maybe I should come by and cook for you again…"

"What about your girlfriend?"

"I can just bring her over too."

Yukina gave Lisa a dead stare. The idea was bad on so many levels, the first being that Lisa's girlfriend had for years mistaken that Yukina and Lisa were dating and thus held back her confession. Imagine how secure she would feel to have Lisa drop by Yukina's apartment every night to act as a housewife.

"Okay. I take it that you don't like this idea," Lisa said.

"Don't make me state the obvious."

"Then what should we do? Last time I tried teaching you how to cook, you broke my rice cooker. Come on, cooking rice is already the simplest part. I can't have you turning on the stove. I don't want Roselia to lose its leader."

"Then let me eat my beef bowls in peace."

"You're going to get a heart attack when you're thirty from the amount of sodium they put into that junk!" Lisa then took out her cell to scroll through her contacts list. "You know what? I should help you get a girlfriend who'd be willing to cook for you…"

"You are not!" Yukina tried snatching the phone away from Lisa, but Lisa dodged expertly.

"Let's see…how about Ran? She wouldn't admit it, but she's definitely looking right now. And don't you two have something going on-"

"No we don't!" And there was no way Yukina could live with the smirk Mitake-san would give her as she taunted Yukina's disastrous cooking skills. This was Mitake-san they were talking about. She was so competitive that she got mad once because Yukina "brought a hotter dad" to their joint live. How was Yukina responsible for the appearance of her father's face?

"Fine, let's try somebody else. How about Kokoro? She can't cook but I'm sure somebody in her team of black suits can. But you'll have to be her fifth wife or something. She sorta already has that HaroHapi harem going on over there…"

"Did I even say I am interested in women?" Yukina rebuked.

"You aren't? I swear you had the biggest crush on the actress from that TV show when we were twelve. Wait…wasn't she Chi-"

Yukina took out the onigiri she had been saving for lunch and crammed it into Lisa's mouth to stop her from finishing that sentence – wrapper still on and all. She stomped back into the studio. Childhood friends were the worst!

…

Lisa's implication that Yukina was acting weird because of Sayo did not sit well with Yukina, nor the suggestion that she was in dire need of a girlfriend. The two were unrelated concepts, but Yukina was sure Lisa brought them up together on purpose. Yukina was not a lovesick idiot, and certainly not for Sayo. She looked for proof of this. When Lisa first became close with her current girlfriend, she had turned to mush. It was as though she had been surrounded by a pink aura – just thinking about it gave Yukina shivers. Maybe Lisa realized it herself, so she hadn't let anybody know what was going on except Yukina. That was Yukina's misfortune. Lisa wouldn't stop gushing to her about how cute the other girl was, comparing the girl's smiles to confections and all that exaggerated shoujo manga-level nonsense. Yukina most definitely was not like Lisa, and she would never gush about Sayo of all people. Besides, what confection would Sayo be comparable to with her bizarre hair colour? Soda-flavoured popsicles? At least the "block of ice" part suited her perfectly.

So Yukina set off to prove to herself that she was not a lovesick idiot. She thought back at how this whole incident started – Sayo getting drunk and horny. Because Yukina was not horny, and even if she were it wouldn't be for Sayo, she was safe to get drunk. At their next yakiniku party, Yukina searched "how much sake can you drink without dying" on her smartphone and came to the conclusion that she could probably down the entire flask without winding up in the hospital - that was, if she didn't choke on it. She tried to gather her courage by staring down the sake flask. Sayo watched her hesitantly.

"Minato-san, here is some horumon," Sayo said, setting the grilled pork intestines onto Yukina's plate. Sayo had avoided alcohol the entire night and was helping Lisa grill the meats. Still, Yukina glared at her.

"I don't want it."

With that, Yukina took the sake flask and gulped it all down in one swing. By the time Sayo and Lisa realized what was happening, she had already set down the flask.

"What are you doing, Yukina!?" Lisa exclaimed.

"Drinking."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But why so much? Can't you remember that you are weak with alcohol?"

She didn't need to remember. The alcohol was already hitting her like a truck. Heat rushed to her face and she felt dizzy. Next she knew, her face was flat on the table.

"Minato-san!? Are you alright?"

"Un…"

"She's breathing. I don't think she is dead yet."

"Imai-san, you aren't giving me much confidence here!"

"Okay. She isn't going to die. She has done this before when she was seven. Got curious about what our parents were drinking and downed a flask of sake just like this. Almost took her to the hospital but she seemed to be fine after a really long nap. Like…fifteen hours or something. She woke intermittently and kept singing the Sailor Moon theme song. You know how loud she is too, right? Did that at three in the morning. Luckily we were her next-door neighbours."

"Lisa-nee, while your story is as interesting as the epic wars in the Realm of…of…"

"…Tartarus, Ako-chan."

"Tartarus. But it really isn't helping the situation, ya know? Like…what should we do with Yukina-san? We can't have her lying on the table like…"

"Her hair, Imai-san, Hikawa-san! Yukina-san's hair is slipping into the grill!"

Yukina faintly felt somebody pull on her hair. She groaned.

"Minato-san, please stop moving your head on the table. It is dangerous when you are so close to the grill!"

"Sayo, just take her home already. You know you want to."

"What!?"

" _Ahem_ …I mean, Sayo should be the one to take Yukina home, seeing as you still owe her a favour for taking care of you last time you were drunk…"

The conversation faded out from Yukina's inebriated senses at that point. Some time after, she awoke to coldness, but something in her arms was soft and warm. She felt around it, trying to find a more comfortable position to hold on.

"Mi…Minato-san, if you cover my eyes like that, I can't see ahead…"

Yukina lowered her hands instinctively. Something fibrous and fur-like tickled her nose. She sneezed. She turned her face so that her cheeks were brushing the silky mat instead. The sensation was very comfortable, like she was lying on a wool blanket. It made her drift back asleep.

The next time she awoke was when she was jostled. She blearily looked up to find herself perched on Sayo's back as Sayo struggled for a way to unlock her front door while not letting Yukina slip onto the ground. Yukina tried to help by putting her feet down, but she could not put any weight on them – they felt like jelly. She managed to cling onto Sayo's waist as she fell and avoided smacking her head to the floor. Sayo sighed as though relieved, lowering herself to reach around Yukina with one hand to secure her in position.

"Just a little ways farther till we get to a bed where you can rest, Minato-san. Please hang on a bit longer."

Sayo managed to unlock the door with her free hand and opened it. Putting her keys back into her pocket, she lowered herself to a squatting position and took Yukina into her arms, one around Yukina's lower back with a hand secured on her waist, the other around her thighs.

"I am going to lift you up in a moment. Please hold onto me if you can."

Yukina tried to affirm her understanding, but it came out as an incomprehensible murmur. She weakly clung onto Sayo's collar as Sayo pushed herself up to standing while carrying Yukina. Sayo manoeuvred them inside the apartment, closed the door, and brought them into the bedroom. She set Yukina onto the mattress. Yukina clung harder to her now. Not expecting the resistance, Sayo nearly tripped when trying to get up. She planted her hands by Yukina's either side to steady herself.

"Mi…Minato-san, I can't get up if you don't let go of my shirt."

"…Stupid. Stupid Sayo."

"Eh?"

Sayo looked very awkward in this position, her face was red even though she hadn't consumed any alcohol. Yukina scrutinized her. This wasn't how she looked last time when she had pinned Yukina down.

Yukina reached around to the back of Sayo's head and pushed her down so their lips connected. Yukina never saw Sayo's expression – just before she had closed her eyes, Sayo's were still wide open in what looked like shock. Funny. Wasn't this just a re-enactment of what Sayo had done before?

"…Why?" Yukina mumbled when she finally let go. She opened her eyes to see Sayo still shocked, touching her fingers to her own lips.

"Mi…Minato-san?"

"…Why did you do this to me last time?"

"Do…this?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

"I…I can't recall…but…I'm so very sorry…I didn't mean to…" Sayo stuttered. It only made Yukina's brows furrow in irritation.

"Be quiet. I don't care. I want an explanation."

When Yukina wasn't a sleepy drunk, she was a bossy drunk. She was usually demanding enough, but with even that last bit of inhibition gone, she became an unreasonable little brat.

Sayo was nearly stunned speechless. "Well…I…that's…"

"Just say it."

Sayo murmured in a very low voice – almost a whisper, "…That's because I've always liked you, Minato-san…"

Yukina just stared at her. Sayo's expression was a curious one, soft and awkward, reminiscent of Rinko's shyness. They were silent for a moment before Sayo's drifting gaze returned to Yukina. She seemed to be searching for some sort of confirmation, but Yukina remained impassive.

"I know Minato-san isn't interested in relationships," Sayo continued a droning explanation, "and I know unskillful as I am, I should not spend time pondering such things when I could use it to practise my instrument…"

"I didn't say that!" Yukina cut her off. Or she might have. She couldn't remember now. Regardless, she hadn't actually meant those words so literally. She might have said it just to spite Sayo. Because Sayo was an idiot. "It's all your fault! Stupid, stupid…"

Yukina had the urge to smack Sayo, but Sayo was looking so enticingly cuddly that she couldn't bring herself to do it. She instead grabbed Sayo's collar and pulled her downwards. Sayo did not resist. She lowered herself beside Yukina and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry," Sayo said softly.

Sayo's hand brushed through the lengths of Yukina's hair. It felt so comfortable that Yukina couldn't stop herself from closing her eyes and relaxing to the touch. Her brain had lost all reason and responded only to indulgence. She held on tighter and whined like a child.

"Stay…"

"Un. I will."

With that, she fell asleep.

Or so she thought anyway. Yukina woke up to a sore throat and a pounding headache. She was confused about where she was and took a few moments to gather fragments of last night's memories to figure out that she was in Sayo's bedroom. Sayo must have took her home after she got drunk at the yakiniku party last night. Ah, so that was the source of her sore throat – Lisa had once told her that she had a tendency to sing at the top of her lungs when she was drunk. She might have done that when she was supposedly asleep last night. She had no recollection of it though.

Yukina lingered in bed for a while longer. She knew she was intruding on Sayo, but her head hurt too much for her to care for the time being. Soon after, the bedroom door clicked open and in came Sayo who kneeled by Yukina's side and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you awake, Minato-san?"

It was a stupid question to ask, seeing as Yukina was staring at Sayo's hand which still lay on her shoulder. She then turned to Sayo who was smiling at her. Sayo. Smiling. A bright and happy smile too. Yukina wasn't still drunk and imagining things, was she?

"What's wrong, Minato-san? Would you like something?" Sayo asked, now running her hand through Yukina's bangs to brush it behind her ear. The motion made Yukina's heart race. What…what was this feeling!?

"I…" Yukina's voice sounded weird. She convinced herself it was because her throat was still sore from presumably black-shout'ing all night. "No. I'm fine. Thank you."

"Are you sure? Your brows are knit." Sayo then pressed her fingers over to smooth them out. "The hangover must be quite bad. Here, drink some water first."

Had Sayo always been this bold? She sat down on the bed to help Yukina up, then handed her a cup of water from the bedside table. As Yukina drank it, Sayo gently rubbed Yukina's temples. It felt nice, but also very weird.

"Sa…Sayo, I…I'm fine. Really."

"You sure? You do not need to be so reserved around me, Minato-san."

So says the person who was still calling Yukina by surname!

Yukina nodded dumbly, frozen in place from incomprehension. Sayo gave Yukina's shoulder one last squeeze before heading for the room door.

"Breakfast is ready whenever you are. I'll go set up the table."

Yukina just sat there. Something definitely happened last night. Something she couldn't remember for the life of her.

Blacking out from drinking was scarier than she had thought. She swore to never, ever do it again.

* * *

III: Of YukiSayo and Wine

"Minato-san, what would you like to eat tonight?"

"Anything is fine."

"That is not a useful response, you know?"

"Then curry. The recipe with the chocolate."

Sayo and Yukina were shopping at the grocery store down the street from Yukina's place. This was all the result of Sayo's insistence that she come by to cook for her every night. It was for the sake of Yukina's health and the future of Roselia according to Sayo, and the others passionately agreed especially Yukina's loud and obnoxious childhood friend, Lisa. Seeing as there was some truth to it, Yukina couldn't refuse, even if she got the feeling that there must be an ulterior motive to this plan.

At first, Sayo would bring along the groceries to Yukina's apartment. But Yukina felt bad for doing nothing and paying nothing, so she started tagging along with Sayo to at least pay the bill and help carry everything back home. It had become a routine now for the two to leave practice together to pick up groceries for dinner, then spend the rest of the evening at Yukina's place either practising and composing, or idly chatting about music and whatnot. Sayo had moved her belongings over one by one till she nearly occupied half the space in Yukina's storage. They were practically roommates at this point.

Yukina towed along the grocery basket in one hand, Sayo had her other. Sayo led her down the aisle to where the boxed curry roux was stocked.

"Do you want leftovers for tomorrow too?" Sayo asked.

"Un. Curry is even more delicious on the next day."

"Okay. So let's buy a little more then. I also want to pack some for lunch."

There went the curry roux into the basket. They then moved over to the produce section to pick up potatoes and onions. No carrots though. Those were replaced by apples. They picked up some protein – it was chicken that night – and lastly a bar of dark chocolate. Yukina usually hated dark chocolate with a fervour, but it was okay in curry, no longer bitter and unappetizing. While she was at it, Yukina also bought a bar of sugary white chocolate for separate consumption.

They made the purchases and exited the store with a bag of groceries each. Their free hands remained entwined though, but Yukina hardly noticed – it had become a habit since the time Yukina nearly got lost by walking in the wrong direction.

"Is there anything else you want to pick up before we go home?" Sayo asked.

"Yes. One more errand."

Yukina took out her phone and used the GPS to take her to the store she was looking for.

"A locksmith shop?" Sayo read off the banner outside. Yukina nodded.

"I ordered a duplicate key for you."

And sure enough, five minutes later, they walked out with a new key to Yukina's apartment which Yukina handed to Sayo. Sayo looked at it curiously as though it were not a key but some amazing relic from an ancient lost civilization.

"Are…are you sure it is okay for me to have this?" Sayo's voice was a little shaky. Why was she so hesitant?

"I do not see why not. I got it made for you."

"But this is your house key, Minato-san…"

"So?"

"But…why?"

"For your convenience, since you are always stopping by."

Why was Sayo staring so endearingly at the key like it was her cat? Yukina was confused.

"Is…Is it okay for me to put it on my keychain?" Sayo's question was so redundant that for a second Yukina didn't know what to say.

"I don't care what you do with it so long as you don't give it to somebody else or lose it."

"Ri…Right."

Sayo carefully strung the key onto her keychain and refused to put it away, still staring at it with a silly smile. Yukina was tempted to feel Sayo's forehead to see if she had a fever.

"Sayo."

"What is it, Minato-san?"

Yukina held out her free hand.

"Your hand."

"Hand?" It took a moment before Sayo's expression turned to one of comprehension, along with quickly reddening cheeks. "Right. My hand."

She finally put away the keys and took Yukina's hand in hers again. It had been getting cold lately, so she put both their hands into her coat pocket. Yukina was pleased at the decision. It was much warmer like this. She snuggled closer.

"Mi…Minato-san!?"

"Hmm?"

"Umm…no…it's nothing."

They walked like this back home. Sayo cooked a marvelous dinner of curry. It might've tasted a little sweeter than usual, but Yukina wouldn't complain about that. They then continued work on their next song – at Lisa's request it was a love ballad, probably more befitting a pop idol group than a gothic rock band but Yukina would never be against a good challenge. Sayo sat at her usual spot on the couch, figuring out the guitar riffs, while Yukina sat on her cat cushion by the kotatsu, leaning her back against the side of the couch.

"How does this sound?"

Sayo played the riff she decided on. Yukina craned her head up to watch, then once Sayo was done, she gave directions for what to change, pointing a finger on the fret positions for emphasis at times. They repeated this until they hammered down the section they had decided to work on that night. By then, it was already past midnight.

Neither Sayo nor Yukina owned a car – parking was expensive and it wasn't really necessary seeing as how convenient transit was. But because of this, Sayo usually stayed the night if they had worked so late – she said she could handle herself even against late-night subway perverts, but Yukina would rather she not take the chance. Sayo made a big fuss about staying the night when this arrangement first started. She insisted on sleeping on the ground, but Yukina would like to think her upbringing was better than letting a guest sleep on cold hardwood floor, especially when Sayo's visit was for the purpose of cooking for her. She offered to sleep on the ground in Sayo's stead, which met heavy resistance in return, so they compromised by both cramming onto Yukina's single bed. This was what they were doing that night too.

Sayo shifted onto her side, her hand fell carelessly onto Yukina's.

"Sorry." Sayo lifted her hand. Yukina opened her eyes blearily. She had been about to fall asleep.

"You don't have to apologize. I said already that it's no big deal. The bed is small after all."

"I guess you are right."

Seemingly emboldened, Sayo edged closer till Yukina was able to feel her body heat. It was pleasant on a winter night like this. Yukina too moved closer, her hand pressed against Sayo's chest while Sayo hesitantly rested her arm on Yukina's waist. Yukina was about to drift off again until she suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to say since earlier that night.

"Sayo, are you still awake?"

"Un. What is it, Minato-san?"

"Why don't you move the rest of your belongings here? You don't have much left at your place anymore, right? It is a waste of money to keep paying rent there."

"EEEH!?" Sayo's voice was loud enough to make Yukina squint. "Wh…Why are you bringing this up now!?"

"I just remembered?"

"But…that'd…that'd mean I'd be moving in here to…to live with you…"

"Aren't you already?"

It was too dark for Yukina to make out Sayo's expression in any detail, but she could tell Sayo was acting strange. When Yukina kept staring, Sayo ducked her head under the covers.

"What's wrong? Do you not want to?" Yukina asked.

"No. Of course not! I'd…I'd very much like to…" Sayo's muffled voice trailed off inside their blanket bundle. Sayo probably couldn't see her from there, but Yukina nodded anyway.

"Then it is decided. Maybe we should buy a bigger bed too."

Sayo's popped out of the blankets at that statement. "I…I don't think it's necessary."

"But it's crowded here."

"Um…yeah, but…I sort of like it. Because…well…it's warm and all. Which is nice in the winter."

"Is that so?" Yukina couldn't deny it. It was much nicer sleeping with Sayo than alone with the temperature like it had been the past days. If they could share the bed with a cat, that would make it even better. As for what to do in the summer, she would leave the thought for another time.

…

It was the day after Roselia's Christmas live, which was also the day Sayo moved the last of her things to Yukina's place since they hadn't found the time to do it before with their practise schedule so full leading up to the live. Sayo had finished moving in the afternoon and returned her keys to her landlord; at night they joined the rest of Roselia for their obligatory yakiniku celebration party.

"You aren't going to drink today, Yukina, Sayo?" Lisa said with a barely contained grin on her face. Both Sayo and Yukina's expressions turned to that of horror.

"NO!"

"Eh? Did something happen? Ako wants to know…"

Rinko shoved a piece of grilled chicken into Ako's mouth. "It…It is better not to ask, Ako-chan."

"Yeah, Rinko is right. You're too young for this, Ako~"

"Imai-san!" Sayo snapped.

Yukina didn't understand what the commotion was about. She tried picking up her favourite horumon from the grill, but it just jumped and the flames burst, nearly consuming her chopsticks. She backed away and nudged Sayo instead.

"Do you need something, Minato-san?"

"The horumon."

"Here. You've got to use the tongs," Sayo said while setting the horumon onto Yukina's plate. Lisa started slapping her own knee as she laughed.

"You two should just get married!"

"Imai-san! Are you drunk!?"

"Don't you worry about me. I am a more responsible adult than you two, and even if I were to get drunk I have a cute girlfriend to take care of me…"

Rinko shoved some chicken into Lisa's mouth too. She then took out something from the bag she had brought with her to the restaurant. It was clearly a bottle of wine, wrapped nicely in turquoise paper with silver snowflake patterns, adorned with cute lavender ribbons. She gifted it to Sayo.

"Hikawa-san, congratulations on moving to your new home. I hope Yukina-san and you would enjoy this."

"Thank you for your kind offer, Shirokane-san, but Minato-san and I are not very good with alc…" Sayo didn't finish her sentence. Yukina took the bottle of wine from her, unwilling to make Rinko feel bad with her puppy gaze and everything.

"Thank you, Rinko. We will enjoy it."

…

"So what do you plan on doing with the wine, Minato-san? We really should've just let Shirokane-san keep it, seeing as she is much fonder of alcohol than either of us."

They stared at the unwrapped bottle of white wine that now sat on Yukina's kotatsu. Yukina nodded to gather her courage. She was not one to back out from a difficult situation.

"It will be fine."

"Sorry?"

"I said, it will be fine. If we take this in moderation, we will not get drunk. And we are in the safety of our home now. We will not be puking on the streets."

"I'd prefer if you don't say it like that, Minato-san…"

Sayo acquiesced anyway, popping the bottle open and pouring a small glass each for Yukina and herself. Sayo had always been polite. There was no way she would dispose of the gift now that they had accepted it – it was bad manners. They clinked their glasses together and said "cheers" before taking a sip. It was good wine, Yukina had to admit. Shirokane-san loved alcohol so it should come as no surprise. The flavour was sweet and smooth without the bitterness that Yukina hated in many drinks. She found herself enjoying a second sip and another until the glass was emptied. It definitely wasn't enough to knock her out like the time she drank that whole flask of sake, but her sleepy drunk constitution started rearing its head and she found her eyelids dropping with the desire for slumber. She lowered herself down onto her cushion and curled up under the covers of the kotatsu.

"Minato-san, if you want to sleep, then you should go to bed," Sayo said, trying to shake Yukina awake. Yukina moaned in protest.

"Don't wanna…it is nice and warm in here."

"You are not really a cat…"

"I don't care."

Sayo sighed. Yukina was not to be argued with when she was in this state. "Very well, but only for a short while, okay?"

"I only intended to nap until the midnight music show starts."

"Alright." Sayo brushed a hand through Yukina's hair. She hummed in approval. "I will wake you when the show comes on then."

Meanwhile, Sayo poured herself a second glass of wine. She was careful not to get drunk this time – the embarrassment from last time likely still fresh in her mind. But perhaps without the alcohol, she would never have had the courage to confess, and likewise, Yukina would never let Sayo know her true feelings in response. The two were too similar in this regard – stubborn and proud and hopelessly poor at expressing themselves.

By the time the music show came on, Sayo had had three glasses of wine – not drunk, but had enough of a buzz that she found the courage to cuddle up to Yukina.

"Minato-san, the show is on now," she said, squeezing Yukina's shoulder. Yukina shifted so she was facing Sayo now. Sayo slipped a hand into the hair by Yukina's cheek, clawing down the lengths. Yukina watched her without moving.

"Sayo…" Yukina's voice sounded sleepy. "Why are you leaning so close?"

Sayo moved even closer at that prompt. "Do you dislike it?"

"No. It's fine."

"Then…then what about this?"

Sayo leaned in. Sensing her intention, Yukina slapped her hand up to Sayo's face, pushing it away.

"Eh? Minato-san, why?"

Yukina turned her head to the side grumpily to avoid Sayo's gaze. "I do not want to kiss a random nobody."

Sayo looked like an arrow just shot into her back, or she stubbed her toe on something particularly hard. "So…I'm just a random nobody to you? That's a bit mean to say even if you don't like me that way."

Clearly Sayo completely misunderstood Yukina. Yukina was feeling a bit guilty, but she was too proud to explain. She just pursed her lips and glared at the legs of the couch nearby. But Sayo soon chuckled a little, bringing Yukina's attention back to her.

"What's so funny?"

"That was a joke, Minato-san. I understood what you meant. We have known each other for a long time now, and we are quite alike, so it's natural that I can understand you."

"Eh?"

"You mean to say we don't yet have a defined relationship, right? Then how about you decide?"

Sayo's comprehension made Yukina even more embarrassed. And to think she had always thought she had no problems speaking her mind. There was no way she could respond to Sayo's inquiry without making a fool of herself!

"I don't know!" she snapped back.

"Then I take it that you are forfeiting the decision to me?" Sayo gave a rare silly smile, her fingers stroking Yukina's cheeks gleefully. "Let's see…how about we become girlfriends? Would you like that?"

Yukina cursed the warm feeling in her chest and the subsequent rush of blood to her face. "Who…who would want to be the girlfriend of a womanizer!?"

"A what!?" Sayo looked shocked. Yukina deadpanned.

"A womanizer."

"Wait…" Sayo shook her head incredulously. "Who did I womanize again? Enlighten me."

"Everybody in our circle of friends. Like the older Udagawa-san. Actually, make that both of them."

Sayo could've probably rebuked with the fact that Yukina had gone on a date with Tsurumaki-san at some point – there was photo evidence of this even though Yukina was usually so opposed to taking photos that she would refuse photoshoots for Roselia CD covers. Then there was a certain cat-eared kouhai of hers that Yukina might have tried to recruit into their band when they rejected her idea of keeping ten stray cats instead, not to mention the punk brat from Afterglow whose "rivalry" with Yukina had gone on for six years like a long-running romantic comedy. If Maruyama-san were also involved, then Yukina would have a full harem of girls' band vocalists. But what was the point of arguing with Yukina when she was obviously taking advantage of the single glass of wine she had as an excuse to whine like the emo kid she was on the inside? Sayo sighed.

"Since our high school days, I've only liked Minato-san this way. There is nobody else, I promise." Sayo touched Yukina's hand that was still on her face. "So would you please take off your hand now?"

Yukina's grip loosened. Sayo slid it off so they could close their distance. Just before their lips touched, Yukina said in a low voice, her face flushed and her eyes refusing to look straight.

"I…I like you too, Sayo."

The first kiss they had was when Sayo was inebriated. The second kiss they had was out of vengeance from a drunk Yukina. And the third? It was soft, it was sweet, it was warm with anticipation for their shared future - and this time, they were sure to remember the sensation.


	9. The Cat and the Dog

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Just a little exercise on writing in present tense and in first person POV. The first part is in Sayo POV while the second will be in Yukina POV. Enjoy!

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, POV first person, POV alternating, self-confidence issues, cohabitation, implied sexual content, kissing, cuddling, Yukina is a power bottom

* * *

 **The Cat and the Dog**

I: Yukinya the Cat

I mean no disrespect when I say this, but Minato-san greatly resembles a cat.

It is a thought that often enters my mind as I observe Minato-san. Do not misunderstand - I do not purposely stare at Minato-san or anything! We are…well…cohabiting, so it is only logical that I would see her often.

Minato-san insisted that we place our bed by the window when we first moved in. Naturally she took the window side. She spends a lot of time by the window when song-writing, spacing out at a view of the streets below while bathing in warm sunlight. It is not a good idea to disturb her when she is in such state, especially if she happens to fall asleep curled up by the window sill. I will admit that it is rather tempting to run a hand down her hair or stroke her back when she looks so adorable…like a cat! There is no other meaning to this! But if you wake her, she would glare at you and stalk off for the couch which, of course, is also placed by a window.

That isn't to say Minato-san is always so averse to closeness. Minato-san is a person of principle and high expectations and it is obvious that this is always reflected in her demeanour, though I have come to find that she is not as… "impassive" by evening. "Sayo, is dinner ready?" is her usual greeting after her late afternoon nap (she usually takes one after we come home from practice). Minato-san is not very picky with food and would readily consume anything that isn't bitter, even when it is directly from a pan. Thankfully, she no longer does that after once burning her fingers on a piece of honey-glazed ham. It reminds me of a kitten trying to swoop up a goldfish but jerks its paw back when it touches the water. She now takes up the task of setting the table, though if dinner isn't done by the time she is finished, she may return to the kitchen and loom over my shoulder to inspect my progress.

Dinner is usually spent in silence – it is bad manners to speak while eating, and Minato-san regards her food with high respect. Minato-san doesn't eat a lot, but if something is particularly appealing to her palate, she may stare at the empty dish until I suggest if she would like a second helping. She takes care of the dishes after the meal, and then returns to the table to enjoy her after-dinner coffee, made with ample milk and four cubes of sugar. She says it is energy for her brain, as she usually works very hard and late into the night on her compositions. She often asks my opinion during those times. On the occasion when she is temporarily out of inspiration, she may lounge around aimlessly, although perhaps by habit, she would still seek me out regardless of where I may be in the apartment or what I may be doing. She once walked in on me while I was playing a rhythm game; finding me unresponsive as I was tiering hard for an event, she started singing _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_ right outside the bedroom door. It must be a tactic borrowed from Toyama-san, and embarrassingly, it worked well. There was no way I could continue playing when my back muscles cringed so hard. Much like a cat sitting on your keyboard, shielding the monitor, Minato-san's presence is unignorable when she chooses to make it so.

It is not my intention to paint Minato-san as a selfish person. That is quite the opposite. There are times when I regret this wretched personality of mine. I can be unsure of myself. I can doubt my own worth. But when I become consumed by that kind of self-loathing, Minato-san would always be there for me. She doesn't speak much other than a simple "I believe in you." But that is all I need, for I know it is truth – Minato-san only speaks the truth after all. She would sit by me silently, never prodding, never giving useless advice unless I ask. When the self-loathing is especially strong, I may hold onto her, and she would remain in my arms until I feel better. That, too, is a little like a cat – it is normally so proud and individualistic, but when you need it, it would come to you, curled in your lap to keep you company.

There is one point about Minato-san where the cat analogy falls short – that is, her physical dexterity. While I would never worry about a cat climbing up to a tall place, I am very much worrying as Minato-san stands tip-toed on a foot stool, trying to reach for a stack of plates on the top drawer. It is normally a good thing that Minato-san is so self-confident – I admire her for that trait. But it can be a little dangerous when she overestimates her abilities like now. Even if she can reach the plates with her fingertips, what are the chances she could bring them down safely, especially given that her grip strength is barely enough to squish pudding? "Let me grab them for you, Minato-san," I say, but she ignores me. Sure enough, she loses footing and falls forward. I grip her tightly at the waist to prevent her head from hitting the drawers.

"Are you alright?" I ask. Minato-san nods, finally stepping down from the stool. I climb on in her stead.

"I am sorry to bother you with such a small task again," she says. I turn back to smile.

"It is no bother. Please depend more on me."

"But it is because I depend so much on you that I wish to do more," she answers. By now, I have retrieved the plates. I place them on the counter before I address Minato-san again.

"You already do a lot for me." I reach out for her hands. Though I've touched them many times by now, I am still nervous. I hope my palms aren't sweating. "You help me move forward. That is all that matters."

* * *

II: Sayo the Doggo

Sayo is a dog - a big husky that looks intimidating at first but is as soft on the inside as the outside. See, dogs like to bark when you first meet them, right? But that is all there is to Sayo. Some bark. Once she sniffs you out she will follow you and keep nagging you to pet her.

Sayo is an early bird…dog. She wakes at dawn and that is when she starts nagging. She does her morning routine – brush her teeth and wash her face then cook breakfast – all the while coming in and out of our bedroom for no other reason than to stare at me until I finally get out of bed. Her nagging continues throughout breakfast – about how my lack of exercise is bad for my health and I should join her on her after-meal jog. She leaves me no choice but to agree. She is a dog after all, and dogs like to go out on walks. I know it is all for my own good, and the exercise does improve my lung capacity, so I am not completely against the idea, but it can be annoying when she is so insistent even on days when it is raining, snowing or the temperature has dropped down to zero. In addition, we must then share our very small bathroom to bathe off the sweat, so we can make it to practice clean and punctual. It is an unnecessary inconvenience.

During practice, Sayo switches from eager dog to obedient dog. She is always ready, always at attention, taking my every word as an absolute command. When I criticize her, she would sulk, but she would try harder and aim higher until she earns my praise. When I do praise her, she becomes flustered. It is rather cute if I must be honest. But Sayo is not a mere subordinate. She is my equal, my partner. Her sound guides me. I can rely on her presence beside me. She is the husky that pulls my sled – one cannot live without the other.

Sayo says she does not like how her hair curls, but I prefer its volume – it is very nice to brush your fingers through, akin a blanket of fluffy wool. On a cold day, holding Sayo is even nicer than hiding under the kotatsu. She is warm and feels wonderful to touch. Her reaction is also adorable. She would never say that she enjoys the intimacy, but if you stop, she would stare at you with puppy eyes until you resume. Sayo is usually a guarded person, but those are the times when she relaxes and shows you her true self.

Dogs are sensitive and loyal. Sayo is much the same. I pride myself for my conviction, but conviction alone is not always adequate for overcoming all difficulties. There are times when I must re-evaluate my choices, times when I realize that I might have made a mistake and must walk back on my path to take another one to the desired outcome. Such self-reflection is not an easy task, and I admit my temper may sometimes get the better of me, causing me to take out my frustration on others and myself. Sayo does not indulge me during those times. She will criticize me harshly if that is what is needed, and I am grateful for that. But never once would I doubt her devotion. She will not leave me. She knows I am affected by negativity. She understands. The quiet companionship she offers then, the patience she gives while I work out the problems by my own strength and with her support, propels me to grow as a person.

Is there any aspect of Sayo that is not dog-like? I admit I am no expert when it comes to dogs, so my only line of reference is Shirasagi-san's puppy, Leon. Leon is very bold with his affection. He would climb onto your lap and lick your face at first meeting. Sayo is far more timid. She would wait for my touch; she would reciprocate hesitantly. While dogs are honest creatures, Sayo can be irritatingly reserved. She has a tendency of hiding her feelings on matters big and small. It takes experience to decipher her, but such effort is worthwhile, if not just for the challenge it presents. Of course, I do have genuine concern for her – she needs to be more forward, and I take it upon myself to give her the push to make that happen. And she repays such effort with always more, not less. Though it goes without saying, the most daring Sayo isn't a face of her to be shown to all in public, such as the way she is acting right now.

"Minato-san…" Her breath falls on my nape. She has finally given into my suggestion and slowly but firmly wraps her arms around me under the covers. I continue to stay still. It is a crucial part of this exercise. If I give in now, she would revert to her usual shyness.

She holds me tighter. I can feel her chest on my back, her legs rub my own. Her hands are starting to wander, her lips pressed against the side of my neck left exposed when my hair falls and pools on the mattress. I must say, breaking Sayo down does take a tremendous amount of restraint, and that restraint is about to slip from my grip.

"Call my name," I say to her, my voice disappointingly lacking in control. I will have to practise harder tomorrow, but that is not something to think about now.

"Yu…Yukina."

The stutter is something to fix in the future. I will take it as a work in progress. I turn around to face her; predictably she kisses me, finally with some dominance after all the training I have invested in.

Perhaps Sayo is quite dog-like after all.

The rest is a story for closed doors. You have no right to hear it, for Sayo is mine and mine alone.


	10. What did you do, Hina-chan?

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Peeping on your Onee-chan is bad. Don't do it, Kids. This is a piece of trashy fanfiction for the laughs only. Do not let it be your example for leading a virtuous life.

 **Tags:** rough kissing, love confessions, eavesdropping, peeping, Chisato has a soot-black heart and Hina-chan is brutal

* * *

 **What Did You Do This Time, Hina-chan!?**

Chisato was enjoying her rare day off work in the warmth of her home, having the house all to herself as her parents and sister were out at the moment. She was by no means a dreamy person, but she enjoyed a good novel from time to time as she was doing now, flipping the pages leisurely while Leon nudged his head on her lap. She stroked a hand down his long coat and felt him relax under her touch. It was such a calm and wonderful afternoon.

It would've been perfect if her phone would stop vibrating. She would've turned it off if she weren't waiting for a message from her manager, alas it was not her manager messaging her but Hina, for the 31st time in the past half hour. She knew there must be a way to mute Hina's messages, at least for the time being, but Chisato was not well-versed in technology and she was currently in such a lazy mood that she couldn't be bothered to look up how to do it. Such effort was becoming more tempting though with each passing minute, marked by another of Hina's messages. She finally put down her book and reached for her phone.

 _Hina: im bored_

 _Hina: so boooooooored…_

 _Hina: why isn't anybody here_

 _Hina: this isn't rururun_

Wasn't Hina supposed to be the genius with an impeccable memory? Eve had a photoshoot this afternoon, Maya was performing routine maintenance on the instruments and would be in the studio all day (probably also squishing herself into tight spaces between the equipment and the walls…it was best to leave her be. Chisato didn't want to question their drummer's life choices), and Aya was finally playing the little bit part she had bragged about for the past week. Who else but Chisato would be here to answer Hina's texts?

Chisato sighed. So, this was how it was going to be. Better get this over with now so she could return to her idle idol life.

 _Chisato: Why don't you spend some time with your sister?_

Chisato sold out her schoolmate in a heartbeat. Sorry, Sayo-chan, it is your own fault for not having disciplined your unruly sister. Rest in peace.

 _Hina: but onee-chan is hanging out with yukina-chan in her room_

 _Hina: she threw me out when i tried to join them_

 _Hina: uwuuuu onee-chan is so vain_

 _Hina: the moment she sees a pretty girl she runs off and leaves me behind_

 _Hina: stupid onee-chan_

Chisato was pretty sure "vain" wasn't the right word to describe the Roselia guitarist whose face would look constipated over students wearing clip-on earrings. And if she were nearly as lustful as Hina made her to be, she would adopt Kaoru's persona and build a harem of little kittens for herself. Aside that boring personality of hers, she did have the appearances and talents to attract a swathe of pretty but hopelessly gullible fangirls – Chisato would give her that much.

While Chisato was musing about her schoolmate, Hina produced more texts.

 _Hina: you know what_

 _Hina: im gonna watch what onee-chan is doing from the hidden camera i installed_

 _Hina: do you wanna watch too_

Chisato looked around her living room, trying to see whether Hina had left hidden cameras in her house too. No, this wouldn't do. She should call a specialist to give the house a thorough sweep at the earliest date available.

 _Chisato: I think installing a hidden camera in somebody else's property is a violation of the law?_

 _Hina: eh? is it?_

 _Hina: but its my house too so its not really somebody elses property right_

Chisato wondered if she should call the police. Then again, Sayo probably wouldn't want her sister to go to jail over this. She rubbed her temples.

 _Chisato: You shouldn't do it again._

 _Hina: okey_

 _Hina: ah_

 _Hina: but ive gotta watch this_

The way Hina applied logic so selectively was something Chisato would never get over with. Granted, Chisato herself was more than happy to twist a few words to get where she needed to be, but there must be a line drawn somewhere, and she got the impression that line did not exist in the convoluted space-time fabric of Hikawa Hina's galaxy brain.

 _Chisato: Hina-chan, you cannot make an exception for your own entertainment._

 _Hina: nonono_

 _Hina: im doing this for onee-chan_

Chisato quirked an eyebrow.

 _Chisato: I do not understand how that can be possible._

 _Hina: its sorta a long story_

 _Hina: but like onee-chan bought some perfume the other day_

Perfume!? Hikawa Sayo, the very illustration of "stick up her butt", wearing perfume? Chisato would not admit that she was curious.

 _Chisato: I cannot quite imagine Sayo-chan wearing perfume. Is this for a special occasion?_

 _Hina: apparently its for yukina-chan_

 _Hina: i just found out now_

 _Hina: here ill show you_

And so Chisato became an unwitting accomplice to Hina's intrusion of her sister's privacy when Hina sent her a livestream from the hidden camera. Sayo was seated with her band vocalist, Yukina, at a low table, the perfume in question sitting atop it in a mess of wrapping paper that was probably ripped by the recipient of the gift. Sayo was in the middle of a droning explanation.

"…so Imai-san said that this could be good for helping with concentration. Of course, I am not saying that Minato-san cannot concentrate! It is just that you work so hard on our compositions and there is so little we can do to help you, so I thought it would be appropriate for me to give you a token of my appreciation, and hopefully this would also be useful to you even in a minute way. The scent is very subtle. I tried to keep in mind Minato-san's modest preferences. And I thought the lavender hue matches well with Minato-san…I…I do not mean this in a shallow way of no substance! …What…What am I even saying?"

"I like it."

Yukina was smiling. Chisato saw it as a smirk, because, well, she herself was definitely smirking as she watched her school's stone-cold disciplinary committee chair turn into a nonsensical stuttering ripe tomato. She really shouldn't be watching this, but it was far too entertaining to ignore. She convinced herself that she would just watch a little more, stopping at the point when and if things got more private. Thank goodness Hina wasn't taking any bets. Chisato would wager pretty heavily on the possibility that this would get intimate before Yukina's visit ended – it hinged only on a matter of when these two cowards would confess their sappy undying love for each other.

 _Hina: omg yukina-chan just put on the perfume_

That she did. Chisato didn't understand what was so "oh my god" about the action. Unless…

 _Chisato: What did you do this time, Hina-chan?_

 _Hina: i didnt do anything_

 _Hina: not on purpose_

Whether or not it was on purpose was completely irrelevant, right? At least that was what Chisato's cynical mind thought. She wasn't going to point it out to Hina though – that would be a waste of breath, or in the case of a LINE chat, a waste of typing.

 _Chisato: Did you somehow get the perfume mixed up with a topical love potion or whatever you were making that happened to look and smell exactly the same as your sister's gift?_

Chisato almost wanted to add that they would look and smell the same because Hina was obsessed with having and doing the same things as her _identical_ _twin_ sister. As though sharing the same face was not bad enough they had to dress in the same clothes. Chisato was glad her own sister was by far more reasonable.

 _Hina: how did you know_

 _Hina: chisato-chan is a genius! thats so rurururun_

 _Hina: except the love potion part though_

 _Hina: i guess chisato-chan still isnt smart enough_

 _Hina: why would i make a love potion_

 _Hina: boring_

 _Hina: im so bababamba amazing i dont need people to love me_

Chisato didn't know where to start rebuking. She chose not to – too much wasted effort.

 _Chisato: If it isn't a love potion then what is it?_

 _Hina: hmm_

 _Hina: how to explain so even chisato-chan can understand_

 _Hina: a liquor of truth?_

Hina probably didn't need to be reminded that they were underage because she probably didn't care either way. Chisato must say that a magic truth-telling potion would be rather useful for many purposes – so long as it wasn't used on herself.

 _Chisato: I suppose this is better than a love potion, but still, you should probably tell Sayo-chan and Yukina-chan the truth now._

 _Hina: eeeeeeeh_

 _Hina: but onee-chan would kill me_

 _Hina: besides i dont know if she really mixed it up_

 _Hina: just a possibility because i realized my truth potion is missing from its place on onee-chans desk_

Chisato reread Hina's last message, but even squinting didn't change the words.

 _Chisato: And why would you have left it on Sayo-chan's desk?_

 _Hina: because mine was so messy i couldnt make my potion_

 _Hina: so i used onee-chans_

 _Hina: not my fault that onee-chan mightve mixed up my potion with her gift_

 _Hina: she shouldve given it to yukina-chan earlier_

That was some roundabout deflection of her own responsibility. As expected of a mad genius. But in that case, Chisato could understand why Hina would want to observe the situation to see what happened. Maybe there really wasn't a mix-up and they were just overthinking it. A small part of Chisato wished otherwise though. Was the blunt Roselia vocalist really as honest as she appeared? Chisato would think not.

For the time though, Yukina was acting quite normally. She was praising her guitarist. "…I am thankful for your consideration. I do not think you are little help. Between keeping the books and helping me with the musical arrangement, you do a lot for me, for us." She reached forward to take Sayo's hand, sending the latter into a heat stroke. "And, just being by your side gives me the motivation to carry on forward. Thank you, Sayo."

"I…well…that's…umm…just…like…what is to be expected. I didn't do anything…special…or anything…"

"I think this is special enough," Yukina said, gesturing to the perfume. "Here, let me give you something in return."

Yukina edged closer to Sayo. Chisato had a bad (or perhaps "amused" would be a more accurate description?) feeling about this. Sayo turned stiff as a rock when Yukina leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, neither bringing herself closer nor backing away.

 _Hina: did yukina-chan just kiss my onee-chan_

 _Hina: hahahaha look at onee-chans expression_

 _Hina: so dumb_

 _Hina: this is so rurururun_

Chisato might've snorted at Hina's brutal commentary, not that anyone but Leon would bear witness to this rare display of her soot black heart. Her book was completely abandoned now, her eyes glued to her phone. This was better than the soaps she performed in, if she must say so herself.

"Mi…Minato-san!?" Sayo's voice could be heard stammering through the audio feed. Yukina kept smiling.

"Hmm? Did you not like my gift?"

"I…that's not…but…I don't under…stand?"

This incoherent Sayo was too precious. Luckily Chisato wasn't Yukina, else she would have a field day with this. But Yukina was nicer than Chisato – as hard as that was to believe for the innocent bystander. In fact, Yukina looked a bit abashed herself. She was trying hard to not appear so, her movements calculated, but so much so that Chisato's trained eye could see right through the disguise.

"I have been thinking about this a lot lately," Yukina said slowly, each word pronounced with a somewhat unnatural care. "I know I appreciate you, Sayo, but the depth of that appreciation and its meaning were unclear to me. I came to realize that this appreciation is not one so platonic. I think of you as I write our songs, not just for the sound you produce, but for the feelings you bring to me. I want you closer. I want to hold you, not in a metaphorical, musical way, but to physically hold you – to be together with you…"

Yukina paused when Sayo remained speechless. She started to look less sure of herself, slumping a little while putting some distance between Sayo and herself. She finally continued.

"I know these feelings are unbecoming of me as I was the one to say we should not bring our personal matters into the band, but if I keep these thoughts to myself any longer, I fear it would make a worse impact on our performance. I do not ask anything from this confession. It may be selfish of me to tell you all this and say that your response is unnecessary. I…" Here, Yukina visibly struggled, as though her script had run short. That was right, it became obvious to Chisato that Yukina had been reciting a prepared speech. Had she been planning this confession for a while but just never found the chance to say it? Was it possible that even the self-centered and proud Minato Yukina needed courage to speak her true mind at times? Well, given how poor she was at expressing herself without inducing the likes of Mitake Ran to punch her, Chisato could sympathize with Yukina's need for a script to read off. Poor Yukina might have gone off-script and tried a little too hard on those last few lines though, and now she was desperately attempting to explain herself.

"Minato-san, I love you too." Sayo cut Yukina off, sparing her awkwardness.

"Eh?"

Chisato rolled her eyes. Oh, Yukina-chan the Sweet Summer Child, your crush just said she returns your feelings. Just kiss her already! On the lips this time!

"…Don't make me say that again. It is…well…embarrassing." And just as quickly as Sayo's flash of dominance appeared, it faded away to her usual obedient puppy self; Sayo fidgeted in her seat and her face turned red again. Chisato was almost ready to praise her too. How disappointing.

 _Hina: uh oh_

 _Hina: they are kissing for real this time_

 _Hina: thats aggressive yukina-chan_

 _Hina: ive always thought shed be a bottom but guess my onee-chan is getting topped lol_

Thankfully, Yukina regained her confidence quickly enough and was now kissing Sayo on the lips as Chisato had cheered for earlier. It was quite a kiss too, hard and passionate, maybe a little messy but seeing as this might be their first time Chisato was willing to refrain from further criticism. Ah, that was her tongue, right? Chisato couldn't be a hundred percent certain given the poor quality of the video, but Sayo made a stifled moan so that was a good sign Yukina was doing the right thing. An 8 out of 10 was Chisato's verdict. Good job, Yukina-chan.

 _Hina: hey does that mean my truth potion works?_

 _Hina: ah_

 _Hina: i should probably stop them then_

Chisato typed a hurried "Wait!" but it didn't seem to have gotten through, as a short moment later a really loud click sounded from the video – probably Hina destroying Sayo's bedroom door lock because she learned how to do that at age three instead of learning how to knock. A second later, Hina appeared on the video, shouting "Stop!" at the top of her lungs. She really didn't need to, because Sayo and Yukina had already quite literally bounced away from each other the moment Hina barged in.

"What the hell are you doing, Hina!? Didn't I tell you not to come in!?"

"No, Onee-chan, I'm preventing you from committing a crime!"

"A what?"

"You can't take advantage of Yukina-chan when she is intoxicated!"

Oh dear. Chisato almost wanted to smack her own face into her free palm, the one not rubbing Leon's head right now. Wasn't it obvious that Yukina had planned her confession from the very beginning? Read the damn mood, Hina-chan!

"Ah, what's that basket over there?" As usual, Hina's attention span lasted seconds. "…'Hina's misplaced junk'. Is that my potion in there?"

Sayo's response was quick and furious, an alarm clock thrown in Hina's direction which the latter did dodge very barely, but it hit the hidden camera instead, probably shattering it to pieces. Before the audio sizzled out, Chisato heard Sayo's angry "I don't care! Get out!"

Well, that had been a good show, albeit a questionable one. Chisato wished for Hina's survival of Sayo's upcoming torture – or maybe not, as it would be better if Hina were silenced forever so Chisato's involvement remained under wraps. Now where was she in that book again? It wouldn't be quite as entertaining, but she was now guaranteed some peace and quiet for the rest of the afternoon.


	11. Love Love Curry

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Another silly YukiSayo one-shot with background TsuguLisa. Maybe I should start a TsuguLisa series too. As always, there might be comedic OOC. Hope you'd enjoy it nonetheless. Happy Valentines Day!

 **Tags:** first kiss, idiots in love, kabedon, Lisa and Hina are horrible friend/sister

* * *

 **Lisa-nee's Love Love Curry Recipe**

Yukina was glaring at Lisa.

She hadn't said anything wrong, right? Usually, Yukina would be eagerly staring at her with stars in her eyes whenever she overheard Lisa's plans to bake cookies.

"Yukina, is there a particular flavour you'd want me to bake? Double chocolate fudge? Mocha-flavoured with extra sugar?"

"Why are you asking me? I thought you were baking them with _Sayo_."

Okay, now Lisa understood the reason for Yukina's anger. Was she jealous Lisa was spending time with others and not her again? Lisa wrapped an arm around Yukina, causing the latter's glare to intensify.

"Aww…Yukina, I'll spend more time with you next week to make up for abandoning you this weekend."

"Haaa?"

Yukina looked genuinely confused. Had Lisa been wrong in her assumption? Hmm…that was weird…

At that moment, Sayo re-emerged into the studio with Rinko, each with a green tea latte in hand; Rinko was talking much more passionately than she usually did, explaining the wonders of the Fire Wizard Class she played on NFO to a surprisingly interested Sayo. Sayo was nodding to Rinko's rant, asking questions whenever she paused, which led Rinko to talk more and more, her free hand moving around in gestures that Lisa had no idea what they meant but Sayo seemed to understand.

 _Crack._ Lisa snapped her head to the source of the sound and found that Yukina had singlehandedly dented her water bottle. This was Yukina. The Yukina who couldn't do a single pull-up (she couldn't even hang herself from the bar for more than a quarter-second). Ooooooh…so Yukina wasn't jealous that Lisa would be spending time with somebody else instead of her – she was jealous that she herself wouldn't be the one spending time with Sayo…

"Say…are you in love with Sayo?" Lisa whispered in Yukina's ear. Yukina's eyes shot wide and her cheeks grew pink.

"E-Excuse me!?"

"There is no point in denying it. I know you too well. You can't hide these things from me."

"I am not hiding anything!" Yukina's response was indignant but seemed genuine enough. She shifted her gaze off Lisa, but when it grazed Sayo, she awkwardly turned it towards the ceiling. "Is…Is that what this is?" she muttered hesitantly.

Seeing as it was Yukina they were talking about, it was entirely possible that she didn't even realize her own feelings.

"Let's talk about this after practice," Lisa said.

Lisa was determined to be her best friend's cupid.

…

Lisa dragged Yukina to the Hazawa Café after practice. Yukina grabbed a heavily-sweetened cappuccino, one that Lisa had made while flirting with Tsugumi. When Lisa returned to the table, Yukina sighed.

"You don't have to help me, you know? You have better things to do with your time," Yukina said, taking a sip.

"If you mean hanging out with Tsugumi, don't worry about it. I have reserved a lot of time for her – I can afford to spare a few minutes."

Yukina narrowed her eyes. "I do not need you to _spare_ me your precious time."

"You know that wasn't what I meant!" Lisa whined, though her grin made it obvious that she didn't actually care. "So, how's my cappuccino?"

"I can't believe I am saying this, but too sweet. What did you put in there? Molasses? Oh right, it's the overflow from your saccharine TsuguLisa love…" Yukina pushed away the cappuccino with a shudder.

"You know you're just jealous. That's why you're now so desperate for your own romance. So, Sayo, is it?"

Yukina's face was an interesting sight. Tsugumi might've stifled a giggle. "I…I didn't say anything like that…" Yukina stammered.

"You should see your own face." Lisa's smile was so evil that she could be mistaken for a hungry tigress. "You know what? Here's a mirror."

Yukina tried to push Lisa's hand mirror away. Too late. She had definitely seen her own face, as she then buried it in her hand.

"This is not me."

"Oh, it sure is." Lisa then reached a hand onto Yukina's left chest, eliciting a yelp from the latter. "Ooo…and your heart is pounding."

"O-Of course it is! If it weren't I would be dead!"

Lisa ignored Yukina's protest. She then hugged Yukina close and whispered onto the exposed skin on the side of Yukina's neck. "And would you imagine yourself held like this by Sayo? Imagine her breath on your skin, her hands wandering…"

"No, I would not!"

It was only when Tsugumi fixed a scrutinizing gaze at Lisa that Lisa finally pulled away.

"But admit it, you have at least stared at Sayo before."

"Why wouldn't I look at her? She is my band member!"

"But you think she is pretty."

"Th-That is just objective!"

"But you will not like it if other people think she is pretty."

At this, Yukina became strangely silent. One more push. One more push and Yukina's stubborn wall of denial would crumble.

"You admire her. You admire her devotion. You admire her integrity. You admire her talents. You want the whole world to see how great she is, but when others visibly show the same admiration as yours and Sayo thanks them for their goodwill, you'll feel all weird and sour inside."

The epiphany hit Yukina like a truck. She looked shocked and cutely embarrassed at the same time.

"A-Am I really in…in love with Sayo…?"

Love was such a powerful disease to bring the great Lone Wolf Songstress to a stuttering mess. Then again, Lisa had always wondered about the lone wolf nickname. Wasn't "lone cat" more appropriate?

"So? Are you willing to admit it now? What do you plan on doing now that you understand your own feelings?"

Yukina tried to reclaim her cool. Not working. She just ended up looking like a frozen peach. "D-Do I _have_ to do something?"

"Umm…Yukina-senpai," Tsugumi came over with a new cup of cappuccino, this one just slightly sweeter than average instead of Lisa's lovesick disaster of a coffee, "If I may suggest, perhaps you could spend more time with Sayo-san by cooking for her?"

"Oh, that's a bold but brilliant idea! Nice job, Tsugumi!" Lisa exclaimed, high-fiving Tsugumi before turning to face Yukina again. "There is no better way to win a woman's heart than to win over her stomach."

"Can you stop sounding like a love expert when you have successfully courted a single person in your life who also happens to be a better cook than you?" Yukina rebuked. Tsugumi gave a cute chuckle, muttering something about Lisa being a great cook too. Yes, we all understand. TsuguLisa is the ultimate food ship. Imagine if they teamed up with Saaya and Hagumi too. The Café-Bakery-Meat Bun Shop Cartel. Say goodbye to fair pricing of food in the shopping district. Capitalism wins again.

"Well, do you want my advice or not?" Lisa continued. Yukina struggled, occupying her mouth with finishing the whole cup of coffee at once. She put the empty cup down. Tsugumi refilled it. Then Yukina said a quiet "okay".

She might've been pretending to just be ok-ing Tsugumi's coffee refill, but Lisa knew better. She patted Yukina's back and gave her a wink.

…

"Sorry, Yukina. I can't make it to the Hikawa's to help you out. There is this new romance movie out and Tsugumi and I have been dying to see it for a while now…"

"Some friend you are," Yukina cut Lisa off with her retort. They were speaking on the phone, Yukina just steps away from the Hikawa Residence. Lisa had helped her arrange with Hina a time she could go to the Hikawa's to cook for Sayo. Tonight was the time. The Hikawa parents would be out for the entire evening, and it was Hina's turn to make dinner. Hina offered the task to Yukina instead.

"Did you at least bring all the ingredients?" Lisa asked. To be fair, Lisa had gone shopping with Yukina beforehand, making sure all the _very specific_ ingredients were purchased in ample quantities enough for Yukina to ruin ten pots of curry. Yukina had thought curry powder and curry roux were the same things, and that it didn't matter if you cooked chicken breast or chicken thigh. Who knew cooking was so convoluted? But the crazy amount they bought was really heavy. Yukina had to pack it all into a suitcase and wheel it to the Hikawa Residence instead. Luckily, the house was within walking distance – Yukina wouldn't have been able to get on a train like this.

"I am sure I did not miss anything. I would know, because I am dying from the weight here…"

"Okay. Good." Good? Yukina wanted to throw her suitcase atop Lisa's face, not that she could lift it up to do that though. "So, did you also bring my 'Love Love Curry' recipe?"

Yukina rolled her eyes. "Yes. I did, in fact, bring your _quote_ Love Love Curry _end-quote_ recipe. Could you not have thought of a better name?"

"But it's a recipe I'm sure would foster your love love fortunes with a certain guitarist, thus the name."

"I regret ever having believed a single word to come out of your mouth," Yukina deadpanned. She had at last arrived at the Hikawa's doorstep. "I am ringing the bell now. Talk later-"

"Wait!" Lisa stopped Yukina from cutting off the line.

"What?"

"I haven't even told you the most important thing yet!"

"Well, say it first next time."

"Alright, alright. Next time. Anyway, I'm sending you a video I recorded this morning of how to make the Love Love Curry. Just follow the instructions down to the word. _Down to every single letter of every single word_ , you hear? No improvisation. If you do just that, then even you can make this. I mean, it's curry from premade roux. It's literally just dumping the roux in hot water with some veggies and meat and letting it all cook. If you have questions, ask Hina. She might look crazy, but at least she can make edible food when she tries."

"That does not sound convincing…"

"I told Hina that I will throw out all her junk from the Astronomy Clubroom if she doesn't help you produce a satisfactory meal for Sayo. Besides, Hina has to eat it too, so she does have some motivation in helping you. She also says that you'd be a boppin' sister-in-law, so…"

Yukina's face boiled as she cut the call and blocked Lisa on her phone. She was here to cook, not to get married! This was ridiculous.

She rang the doorbell. Weird metallic clangs sounded within the building, and after a while, Hina emerged from the other side of the door with wires and unrecognizable gadgets tangled by her feet. "Welcome, Yukina-chan!" she greeted while struggling to open the door. Yukina stared at her for a second, debating whether to ask if she was okay. Then again, she probably was. She was the genius – she could fix herself if she smashed up her arm or something, so long as her brain was intact.

"Thank you for having me. Here is a gift for you and your family," Yukina said, handing her the box of assorted mochi her parents suggested that she bring out of polite appreciation. Hina did not hesitate to take them. In fact, the "your family" part might have been completely ignored, as Hina started gobbling them right then and there.

" _*nomnom*_ This is so good, Yukina-chan!" When Yukina nodded and stared at the hall behind Hina, Hina finally took the hint to gesture her inside. "Oh right, come on in. The kitchen is right at the end of the hall."

Yukina took care to step around the tangle of wires by Hina's feet and reached the kitchen as instructed, where she started to set up her stuff. Hina helped her take the ingredients out of the suitcase. Well…the word "help" might be used a little liberally here. Hina was just digging through the suitcase for readily-edible food while tossing the rest on the counter. She stole an apple and started munching on it.

"Sooo…Lisa-chi said that you have the _*crunchcruch*_ biggest crush on my Onee-chan and wanna _*crunchcrunch*_ make her some delicious love love curry?"

Yukina would be ready for denial if she hadn't been so preoccupied by Hina saying onomatopoeias along with actually crunching an apple between her teeth. She could just nod instead. "Eee…that is my intention."

"That's so rurururuuun!" Hina bobbed over to Yukina's side and set up a monitor there. "…Lisa-chi said she has a video to show you how to make the curry. I mean, why would you need that? So simple! But seeing as it's Yukina-chan, might as well watch it anyway since Lisa-chi said you're useless at anything not music…"

Yukina was going to kill Lisa after this…

For the time being, all she could do was to glare at the image of Lisa on the screen Hina set up. Lisa was grinning like Garfield as usual, waving and saying "hello" when it was completely unnecessary. "Can you see and hear me clearly?" Lisa sounded over the audio feed. What even was the point? If she hadn't seen or heard clearly, she wouldn't have been able to understand what Lisa said anyway, not that there was anything that could be done about it at that stage since this wasn't a livestream but a recording. Yukina was tired of her own sarcastic musings though. She tried to ignore Lisa's usual antics and focus on the main points addressed by the video.

Okay, so first, deal with the potatoes. Yukina couldn't make sense of exactly what Lisa was doing with the knife, and she had little patience to listen to her explanation – complete with not-so-funny jokes and horrible analogies – so she supposed chopping them up to pieces would do. Then came the onion. Yukina made a cut into it, the juices flew everywhere, Hina bounced away in time to avoid the spray but Yukina was caught in the onion mist that, of course, sent her crying in an instant. This was suicide. She decided that a whole onion and chopped onion was probably the same thing – she tossed it whole into the pot along with the potatoes from before. Alright, now came the apples, which Lisa had chosen to replace Sayo's hated carrots. Still blinded, there was no way Yukina could cut the apple either, so she just tossed it whole into the pot too. Same thing with the boneless chicken thighs. Yukina expected that the next step would be adding water and roux, but Lisa explained that the onions and chicken thigh pieces needed to be fried first before the other ingredients were added. Too late, they were already in the pot. Yukina skipped that step – what was the difference when they would all come out cooked in the end? She just topped the ingredients with water, tossed a piece of roux in there, closed the lid and turned up the stove to maximum – why a lower heat when a higher one could cook things faster? Alright, now wait for it to boil. This really was simple enough, Yukina mused.

 _Blub blub blub blub…_

"Ah, Yukina-chan, it's boiling!" Hina said, pointing at the pot. Yukina had her back to it, her mind occupied with silly thoughts of Sayo savouring her homecooked meal.

"Yukina-chan…"

"Yukina-chan! It's boiling over!"

"What do you mean boiling oooo…" Yukina's voice trailed off when she finally heard Hina and turned to see liquid bubble and spill from the pot with each jump of the lid, pushed open by the escaping steam. Yukina tried closing the lid by force. Hot! She nearly burnt her hand.

"Turn off the stove," Hina suggested, laughing. Yukina followed the instructions dumbly. The liquid was still spilling out of the pot and pooled all over the surface of the stove. "You've gotta remove the pot from the stove. Wear the oven mitts or you'd burn yourself again. Hahahaha, seriously, Yukina-chan? You're such a clutz!"

They finally managed to secure the pot in a place where it wasn't actively erupting like a volcano. Yukina glared at Hina's so-called help – her brutal jibes always made after the disaster already happened. "Eat it," Yukina commanded, shoving a whole chicken thigh in Hina's face. Hina jumped back.

"Not happening. Eating raw chicken would make me sick!"

"What do you mean raw? It was boiled."

"The water boiled, but the chicken hasn't been cooked through. Just look at where you have your fork jabbed into the meat. There is literally blood beading out from the holes!"

Yukina tossed the chicken thigh unceremoniously into the trash. She then filled a bowl with the "curry" and shoved that to Hina instead.

"Then try the rest of it. The part that boiled."

"Oh come on, just accept that you ruined this pot. The roux hasn't even completely dissolved yet and you added too little of it. The potatoes weren't even peeled, and you dumped a whole onion and a whole apple into the pot. A whole apple, like stem and core and all! I was gonna say your pot looks like a salad sitting in diarrhea, but that's a little overgenerous."

Yukina kept glaring, but she had to admit, Hina was right. So the problems were peeling the potatoes, cutting up the onion and apple, and boiling it all for longer. She tried to start from the peeling potatoes part. Lisa peeled it with a knife on the video. Yukina tried to copy Lisa's actions, but the knife slipped every two seconds and she found her left thumb precariously close to getting clipped off by the blade. Hina was watching her like watching penguins slide off a cliff. "My goodness. You are just soooooooooo interesting, Yukina-chan! How can you be _that_ dumb?"

Yukina didn't think to argue. No point. She took only the most straightforward path to her goal.

"…Astronomy Clubroom," she muttered under her breath.

"Haa?"

"Astronomy Clubroom."

Hina definitely heard her the second time around. Her face paled. "Nonono, Lisa-chi and you are definitely not gonna touch my precious senpai diaries!"

"I didn't say I would." Yukina's smile was so artificial Hina shuddered. Good. Yukina's plan was working.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll help you! Give me a sec…"

Hina vanished upstairs briefly before returning with a bunch of gadgets in her hands. "Okay, here is the potato peeler and cutter, this one is for the apple, this one for onions. I even have one for the chicken thighs. All automated. You can't mess this up anymore, Yukina-chan."

Yukina had got to admit, Hina's intelligence was impressive. The gadgets worked wonderfully. Everything was peeled and chopped nicely this time. Yukina fried the onions and chicken thighs – Lisa said they should be a little golden but a slightly darker hue should still be fine, right? Then came the rest of the ingredients, water, and roux. More roux for this pot. And it had to boil longer than last time. Guess Yukina would keep the lid closed by holding it down while wearing oven mitts. This should do.

The next pot was finally done. It might've still boiled over a bit, but at least it looked sort of like curry? And everything was cooked. Yukina checked.

"Why do you still refuse to eat it?" Yukina asked Hina who kept grinning like a Cheshire.

Hina jabbed a pair of chopsticks into the bowl Yukina had served her. The chopsticks stayed stuck in vertical position. "Yukina-chan, how many boxes of roux did you add this time?"

"I'm not sure. I lost count."

"Now that might be a problem…" Hina then fished something out of the bowl of extra-concentrated curry paste. "And what would this happen to be?"

It was black. Hina squished it on a clean plate and it bounced like rubber.

"Um…" Yukina wasn't so sure of herself anymore. "Chicken?"

"I'd rather eat an eraser."

At Hina's verdict, Yukina sulked. She did realize her "pot of curry" looked very questionable. If somebody else had produced it, she would've been inclined to believe that person did not put any effort. But Yukina did try, no matter how difficult that might be for others to believe. She didn't understand where she went wrong or how to fix it.

"Aww…I said I'd help, so don't worry, Hina-chan has got this!" Hina exclaimed before dashing upstairs again. This time, it took a little longer before she returned. Yukina heard some weird sounds. _Cling Clang Bing Bong Ding…_ What greeted her when Hina returned was not a handful of gadgets but a humanoid robot.

"How do you do, Milady?"

This was beyond the realm of a normal genius. This was _deus ex machina_.

"Alright, Robot, follow that video and make the perfect curry," Hina said to the robot, unfazed.

"As you command, Milady."

The robot got to work. _Chop chop chop, plop plop plop, sizzle sizzle, blub blub…_ It was doing everything perfectly, except with a single flaw – the way it said "Chop chop chop, plop plop plop, sizzle sizzle, blub blub…" along with the actual sounds made. Did Hina seriously have to program the robot to be as annoying as her?

Yukina would not complain. She was ashamed of her own uselessness. "…B-But what's the point of me being here then?"

Hina discarded her usual chiding façade and gave a soft, genuine smile, one hand on Yukina's shoulder. "Be the one to serve the food to Onee-chan. I'm sure that alone would make her very happy."

…

Sayo had worked at school even on this weekend day; the cultural festival was coming up and she needed to be there with the students making last minute preparations to make sure discipline was kept and rules were followed. It had been a long day – she came home exhausted, sighing even as she unlocked the front door and stepped in. "I'm home," she groaned.

"Welcome home, Sayo."

That was not Hina's voice.

Sayo snapped her head up and found Yukina facing her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Sayo nearly lost her balance. She fell back to the door, her hands searching it for some grip to keep her standing. "Mi…Minato-saaaaaan!?"

"Is…Is this a bad time to come visit?" Yukina asked. Sayo shook her head. Hard.

"Of…Of course not! Minato-san is always welcome!"

Sayo stole a glance over to Hina who was in the corner giggling. Sayo glared down her sister; Hina just shrugged. Sayo kept glaring, trying to use their twin telepathy to force Hina into an explanation. Hina finally answered.

"Yukina-chan is here to cook for you."

"Cook? For me?"

Sayo's eyes met with Yukina's briefly before Yukina turned to the side awkwardly. "Well…I…uhh…was invited by Hina to come over for dinner because my parents are also away, and…umm…there was a lot of food in my fridge, so I thought I'd bring them here…"

This was a face of Yukina that Sayo had never seen. Yukina was usually confident and decisive. This rambling explanation was the opposite of that. Sayo didn't know exactly how to react. She was a little worried if Yukina was okay.

"It's okay, Minato-san. You do not need to explain. I am happy that you have come," Sayo reassured. At this, Hina gave Yukina a suspicious elbow jab. Since when were the two so close? Yukina stumbled forward, closing the distance with Sayo.

"Umm…Sayo, please sit down first."

"Err…Okay."

Sayo stepped into the living room where the dining table was already set, her legs felt too long all of a sudden and she struggled to move them naturally. She marched the rest of the way to the chair and fell onto it, back rigid while she waited for something to happen. There must be _something_ , right? Hina's smirking expression was more than enough evidence.

Yukina went into the kitchen and came out again with a dish of curry rice. She was moving just as stiffly as Sayo had, the plate rattling dangerously in her shaking hand. "I…uhh…didn't actually make this. I wanted to, but…umm…things happened, and…well…I hope you're alright with me just serving it to yoooooooooo…"

As Yukina neared, she kicked her toe on the leg of the dining table and down fell the rest of her body along with the plate of curry rice all over Sayo's front. Sayo rushed to catch Yukina. She managed to stop Yukina's fall. "Are you alright, Minato-san?"

"No…that's a question I should be asking," Yukina said, hurriedly grabbing the napkin from the table to wipe away the mess of curry on Sayo's chest. The curry soaked through the napkin quickly – it lost its form and Yukina's fingers brushed Sayo as though there were little barrier between them. She might've accidentally touched a sensitive spot, as Sayo gave a startled "kyah!" that caused Yukina to flinch back with a reddened face and apologize profusely.

"I…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's…It's okay, Minato-san. I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

They sat there just staring at each other for a second. Sayo, too, felt her cheeks heat up.

"Umm, Onee-chan, shouldn't you go get a change of clothes?" Hina asked, then slyly added. "I know you love Yukina-chan _('s curry)_ and all, but if you don't get it off your uniform, it'd leave a stain…"

"Be quiet, Hina," Sayo snapped. She turned back to Yukina. "Umm, I will be right back."

Sayo dashed upstairs, threw her dirtied uniform to soak in some detergent, and retreated into her room, slamming the door behind her. She was so confused. What the hell was going on? Why did Yukina show up at her house to cook for her? And why was the cool songstress acting so strange?

A certain reddish-brown haired bassist came to mind. She'd most definitely know what was going on with her childhood friend – might've even played a role in this whole incident. Sayo grabbed her phone and texted:

 _Sayo: Imai-san, do you know why Minato-san is at my house right now?"_

 _Lisa: To cook for you? Don't tell me that failed._

 _Sayo: That is besides the point. I am asking why._

 _Lisa: Because she likes you?_

Sayo wanted to scream. Minato-san? Liked her? As in…as in a band member, right? She was definitely overthinking this. There was no way Yukina would share her pathetic, unprofessional feelings…

 _Sayo: Please do not joke with me, Imai-san._

 _Sayo: I understand Minato-san likes me as a fellow band member._

 _Sayo: That still does not explain her behaviour. I am sincerely worried. Please tell me the truth._

Sayo glared at her phone waiting for an answer. It came three minutes later.

 _Lisa: You sure are dense, Sayo._

 _Lisa: I am saying Yukina wants you to be her girlfriend. Is that clear enough?_

Sayo dropped her phone. It hit her toe, but her brain was so preoccupied thinking over what Lisa had texted that she was a second late to say "ouch!"

She finally picked up her phone from the floor.

 _Sayo: You are kidding._

 _Lisa: I am not._

 _Lisa: If you don't believe me, ask Yukina yourself._

 _Lisa: Oh, and I'd suggest kabedon'ing her while you are at it._

Lisa was serious. She really thought Yukina was…was…in love with Sayo!?

Sayo squatted there staring at her phone. She reread Lisa's message three times until interrupted by Hina's voice from outside her door.

"Onee-chan, whatcha doin' in there? You've been inside for a loooooooooong time."

Crap. She totally forgot that Yukina was still waiting for her downstairs, and the fact that she herself was still in her undies after removing her curry-soaked uniform. She had to put on something presentable and get back down there. She scrambled through her wardrobe. A dress? Or just pants? Something formal? Something casual? Those ripped jeans she bought in America? Nonono…she'd just look stupid. She grabbed something randomly and paled at the sight of it. Her Roselia stage costume.

"Onee-chan…?"

"Coming!"

She forced herself to put it on anyway. When she opened the door, Hina looked at her from top to bottom and bottom back to the top, then erupted in laughter.

"What!?" Sayo shouted indignantly.

"Onee-chan…are you for real?"

"I feel most at ease in this. It helps me concentrate. That's all!"

Stupid explanation, she knew, but Hina was the least of her concerns now. She ran back downstairs and saw Yukina also staring her with jaws dropped. She quickly hid her dress with an apron.

"I am sure everyone is hungry. Let me make more curry," Sayo said, fleeing to the kitchen. Thankfully, Hina did not follow, but Yukina did, settling to a spot a step behind Sayo.

"Minato-san?"

"I want to keep you company."

Sayo felt her cheeks burn now that she understood the meaning of Yukina's actions. She could just nod as she concentrated on making the curry. Although Yukina said she was there to keep Sayo company, they didn't really speak throughout the whole time. Both were too embarrassed, Sayo pretending to be transfixed with peeling potatoes while Yukina tried to find a hidden pattern amongst the lines on the marble counter. The new pot of curry was finally made (if Sayo and Yukina were less absorbed in being an idiot pre-couple, they might've noticed that the pot Hina's robot had made was still sitting in the corner). Sayo scooped a bit of the sauce into a spoon and turned towards Yukina.

"Umm…would you like to taste it and tell me if it is to your liking?" Sayo asked.

Yukina nodded, reaching out for the spoon, but Sayo withheld it from her hand, instead pointing it directly to Yukina's mouth. Realizing Sayo's intention, Yukina grew even more timid. She avoided direct gaze and reluctantly opened her mouth so Sayo could feed her.

"It's…delicious," Yukina muttered. She stole the spoon from Sayo at that point and was about to get some curry with it. "Do you want to try some too?"

"Yes, I will have some."

 _Kabedon, kabedon, kabedon, kabedon!_

Sayo cursed the voice in her head that sounded vaguely like Lisa's. It was all the damn fault of that last message she sent.

Sayo would not admit that it was her own will that propelled her to grab Yukina's hand, lower that spoon, push Yukina back against the wall, and pound her other hand on said wall with a clear "Don!" sound.

"May I?" Sayo asked, her face so close to Yukina's that there was no ambiguity to what she was planning. She saw Yukina visibly gulp before nodding. With that, Sayo closed the remaining distance with her lips, pressing them against Yukina's and then tried pressing them again from another angle. She came to a hard realization that she didn't know what she was doing and neither did Yukina.

But Yukina wouldn't let her go. She had her hands clenched around Sayo's collar, bringing her down to her height. "I don't think you've had a good taste of the curry yet," she said, craning her neck up for another kiss. Sayo acquiesced.

The actual pot of curry lay there forgotten. Hina crept into the kitchen and posed in front of the two pots and snapped a selfie of herself with YukiSayo still kissing innocently in the far background.

"Plan successful!" She texted Lisa the selfie. "All the more curry for me! Yum yum!"


	12. Snow Day

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Just a self-indulgent little thing I wrote on another cold winter day. Let's hope the pipes in my house don't freeze over.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, pointless yuri fluff

* * *

 **Snow Day**

Yukina didn't like the snow.

To be more specific, she didn't like the inconvenience that came with it. She quite liked gentle falling of flakes and the way snow crunched beneath her feet, but the current storm didn't allow any of that. Such phenomenon was rare so far south in the country, but it did happen on the occasion, and it was annoying. It was a blinding white outside as snowballs were flung all over her window by the crazy wind. It was freezing cold even indoors, and this was after she turned the kotatsu to max and hid under its covers. Voice training was off-limits today. The air was cold and dry and hurt her throat as it was – she already had a paper mask on, which had gotten a little stifling from her wearing it all day. She was hungry too, but climbing out of her kotatsu sanctuary to cook a cup of ramen from the kitchen was such an unwelcome exercise she'd rather starve.

 _Ding Dong_ – the doorbell rang. Who the hell would venture outside in weather like this!? Yukina might've taken pity on the poor delivery guy who got the wrong address if it weren't such a painstaking effort to get up and answer the door. As it stood, she could only offer quiet condolences.

Banging sounded on the door after the bell went unanswered. "Minato-san, are you inside?" The voice sounded oddly familiar. "I brought nabe!"

So it wasn't a mistaken delivery guy but somebody who knew Yukina, trying to coax her out with…nabe?

Which was a pretty good attempt. Nabe sounded absolutely mouth-watering at the moment.

Yukina reached her hand out at lightning speed to grab that bundle of blankets she left on the couch next to the kotatsu. She wrapped herself in them, covering even the top of her head, and waddled to the door in this state. Ugh…even the fabric felt like ice. This nabe better be worth it…

She spied through the peephole. The person on the other side of the door was hardly recognizable too, fully covered in multiple layers, the top of which was covered in snow. In the person's mitted hands were, indeed, a pot. At that moment, the person shivered, dusting off some snow from her head. Turquoise hair peeked out from under the hood.

"Sayo?" Yukina called, opening the door.

"Yes, it is me. I am sorry for the sudden intrusion."

"It is no intrusion, but why did you decide to come in this weather? I thought we had canceled our… _arrangements_."

Saturday was the day they usually spent together as…well…lovers. They would go out on a date after practice and would spend the evening, sometimes the night, at one another's places. But it went without saying that Yukina didn't expect Sayo to show up in a literal blizzard.

"I thought Minato-san might not have eaten yet, so I decided to bring some nabe over."

A million mixed feelings came to Yukina. On one hand, she wanted to scold Sayo for being stupid, because she was – there was little that could beat the ridiculousness of transporting nabe by foot in a blizzard. On another hand, she was worried for Sayo. Did she catch a cold? She could've slipped on the ice and snow and that would've been bad. Of course, there was also her gratitude for Sayo's gesture, which she ended up trying to express. "Thank you, I guess…"

She just had to say it so nonchalantly that it could've been mistaken for sarcasm by anybody other than Sayo.

Because Sayo knew her. Sayo always understood her best.

"Then…shall we?" Sayo lifted the pot slightly with a smile.

Yukina took the pot, set it down on the kotatsu, then returned to her foyer with a towel to wipe off the melting snow from Sayo's jacket so she could take it off without getting the inner layers wet. Sayo finally inched out of her jacket and all but jumped at the temperature – her hair would've stood up if she were an actual dog. It took a lot of willpower, but for Sayo's sake, Yukina unwrapped her blankets to share them with Sayo.

"Warmer?"

Sayo didn't need to answer, as her face already answered for her, turning pink.

"Let's…eat. I'm sure you are hungry."

The nabe was set on a butane stove at low heat to keep it warm. They had fun fishing out the meat and vegetables from the pot, sometimes with a good helping of the miso-based soup to warm their stomachs. Yukina might be small in stature and generally ladylike in her behaviour, but she was a carnivore through and through like her favourite animal, cats. She was devouring meat, and meat, and more meat. Sayo wasn't one to talk though, as she also fancied the meat – she had known this beforehand so the pot was 90% meat and 10% vegetables, with her hated carrots inexistent. Still, Sayo felt some responsibility to point out Yukina's unhealthy eating habits.

"Minato-san, have some vegetables too," Sayo said, about to set a shiitake mushroom to Yukina's bowl, but Yukina shirked away and…was she pouting? Sometimes, Yukina could be surprisingly childish – or maybe she was only like this to Sayo.

At times like this, Sayo had to use her secret weapon.

She blew off the steam from the mushroom, then held it to Yukina's mouth.

"Minato-san, ahh…"

Yukina turned away with a blushing face. "I am not a child."

"But you wouldn't eat your vegetables otherwise."

"I do not see you eating much vegetables either."

Sayo sighed. "Fine, I will eat half of it." She held the mushroom between her teeth and edged towards Yukina. Yukina's face burned even redder. Cute.

But finally Yukina acquiesced, biting off half the mushroom carefully without touching Sayo's lips. Sayo kissed her anyway. To think Sayo used to be so shy that she kept her crush hidden for an entire year during high school. They sure had come a long way in their relationship.

The wind kept howling and snow kept whirling wildly outside. This bad weather no longer affected either of them. After the nabe had all gone down to their tummy, they kept lounging around the kotatsu, Yukina curled up in Sayo's arms. Being so lazy was unlike either of them, but it wasn't bad once in a while. They definitely wouldn't let anybody know about this though – they couldn't afford to be teased by the likes of Lisa and Hina. It was a secret just between the two of them, a secret that was sweet as Sayo's favourite candy and warm as Yukina's beloved honey tea.


	13. Virtual Home of Real Love

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ For those who follow me on Twitter, you'd know where this came from, lol! Thank you crowind for their suggestion.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, pointless yuri fluff, rest of Roselia mentioned

* * *

 **Virtual Home of Real Love**

Rinko and Ako had rediscovered an old sandbox game lately and tried to get everybody on-board playing it. They had successfully gotten Lisa hooked after the latter found that it was possible to make cookies in-game too, amongst many other recipes. The whole crafting aspect was right up Lisa's alley. Sayo was more in it for building stupid things in creative mode, because, well…Sayo was a constructive person – she couldn't leave things in disarray, even if they were just a cluster of digital pixels called "nodes". While Yukina was interested too (she wouldn't admit it, however), she was too unskilled for this sort of thing to get very far. On survival mode, she would die within three seconds, either falling off a cliff or drowning in the nearest body of water or somehow walking into the spawning spot for an exploding cactus. Even on creative mode, she could manage to get herself stuck forever in quicksand. And so, Yukina settled instead for watching Sayo play this evening. Sayo decided to start a new world so Yukina could have fun offering her input.

Their character spawned in a jungle river valley. Two steps ahead was a steep incline up a narrow mountain, a short ways behind them was a meandering river. Sayo couldn't remember who it was – probably Ako – who had once brought up the hypothetical situation of what would happen were Roselia to be stuck in the Amazon. They decided that Ako and Sayo would be hunters (Sayo stressed again that she was skilled in archery as an art form and that it had little to do with shooting actual moving beasts in the wild), Rinko would make their clothes out of leaves and whatnot, Lisa would cook their meals, and Yukina would…stay in their hut and try not to get lost. Maybe it was that indignant conversation that caused Yukina to point at the monitor with a frown.

"Sayo, this is not a good place to build."

Reasons aside, Sayo agreed. Sayo preferred biomes with more varied vegetation, like apple trees and strawberries and…potatoes. Even though on creative mode she had access to all the different food nodes, she still liked to farm potatoes the old way, and craft them into fries. Part of the fun of the game was to see how many chests of fries she could fill. She had once built a house entirely of stacked chests of fries. It was secretly her favourite world.

Sayo walked their player downstream along the river. It was more jungle and river and jungle and river, and it had started raining, the _plop plop_ background sound grew in intensity. Yukina looked like the virtual rain offended her. As such, Sayo decided to cheat a little. It wasn't as though turning off damage at the start wasn't already a cheat anyway. She granted herself the privilege of moving fast and flying.

"Ooh…" Yukina muttered, seemingly impressed when their character lifted into the skies. Though it was just a world of pixels, the view was rather breathtaking. The narrow valley dropped beneath their feet and now they could clearly make out the height of the slender, vined jungle trees and the bends of the river, its width variable as it proceeded downstream. They followed a tributary to its mouth where it merged with a large body of water – the game's equivalent of an ocean.

"What about here?" Sayo asked Yukina whether this was a good place to build. The seaside was considerably drier. Actually, much drier, as the beach was barren and the hills backing it were brown with little else other than magic mushrooms. It was considerably flat and would be easy to build on though, but Yukina was unimpressed.

"Let's cross the ocean."

"Adventurous as always, Minato-san."

Sayo pressed the up arrow key and they advanced towards the spotless horizon. The yellow square that symbolized the late afternoon sun was descending, its light fading to darken the game window. Sayo used another cheat to change the time back to 6 am in the morning. She didn't need to be a second Yukina – that was how Yukina had managed to get stuck in the "unlimited quicksand works" last time.

They came across some small islands here and there before reaching a new continent. Sayo liked this one. There were sunken ships offshore littered amongst coral reefs. The beach blended into flat meadows that transitioned to rolling hills with deciduous forests full of fruits and flowers. Perfect place for her potato farm.

"Let's go higher," Yukina said.

"Eh?" Sayo was reluctant, especially knowing that her favourite crop would drop off in availability above the tree line. "But this mapgen correlates altitude with temperature, so the mountaintops are rather uninteresting…"

Such was the game's strange geographical rules. You couldn't question the reason why some things were surprisingly reflective of real-life while others were just ridiculous.

Yukina didn't seem to care either way though.

"We are Roselia, Sayo. We aim only for the highest."

Sayo chuckled. "Well, if you say so…"

Sayo moved up along the tallest hill, which ran into a mountain range. They flew taller still, right up to the very top where there was perpetual snow and the peaks jabbed out from the clouds. The colours were sombre, the whites of snow, browns and blues of frozen dirt, sprinkled with purple-cored frost trees, pale crystal spikes, and surreal-looking healing trees bearing golden fruits. Sayo picked the nearest mountain top to land and proceeded to clear it out. "What should we build first?" she asked as she did so.

"A balcony. Right there with a view of the valley."

"Sounds like a great idea."

Sayo started laying out the floorboards. They first went with "seastone", which was white with dark grey marble-like patterns. It looked good on their inventory but spreading it over a large surface gave it too much complexity that it was honestly a little dizzying to look at. Yukina might have also mumbled something about it being "Mitake-san's garage aesthetics". Or it could've been "garbage aesthetics" – Yukina was using the English term and Sayo wasn't sure if she heard it right. They then tried the far more mundane cobblestone, but that just looked like the floor of a jailcell, so they decided on a wooden texture instead for a more homey feel. They first tried the light-coloured aspen wood to match the snow. It looked boring. Then they went with a bolder reddish-brown acacia, which surprisingly matched the purplish-blue frost wood fencing Sayo put up at the edges. Agreeing with Yukina on this colour scheme, Sayo began work decorating the balcony - she dug a hearth in its center, lined with the seastone they had ditched earlier, and encased it in glass. On either side they put some furnishings, tables with a lantern on top and chairs on the sides. Yukina at first wanted just two chairs, imagining the home for the both of them only Sayo supposed, but Sayo reminded her that they should save some seats for the rest of the Roselia members as guests. Seeing as five was an odd number and Sayo didn't like the dissymmetry of their otherwise perfect balcony, she added a sixth…for Hina, she supposed.

"Sayo," Yukina called as Sayo was about to get started on the house proper.

"What is it?"

"The balcony needs some plants."

They were far above the tree line and the only things that grew were "frost trees" and "healing trees" – things that didn't exist in the real world. Sayo wasn't sure if planting anything else would grow on the ice soil.

"What kind would you like?" Sayo asked anyway.

"Blue roses."

Sayo searched their inventory. No such thing existed. The closest was the blue geranium and planting a single one into each snow-covered node looked miserable. Sayo texted Rinko for a solution, and Rinko suggested a furnishings mod that gave potted geraniums instead. They restarted the game with the new mod and filled the dirt just below their balcony edge with them.

"How is that?" Sayo asked.

Yukina nodded with satisfaction.

"The impossible made possible. I like it."

The balcony took surprisingly long to build – then again, Sayo was a noob in the game unlike the likes of Rinko and Ako who had been able to rebuild a pixel version of Hogwarts on survival mode. By midnight, reality time, they had finally made progress on the main house, at least put up some pale blue ice blocks as the walls with pillars of glowstone that looked rather spectacular in the dark. Yukina seemed to love it. It might be a little flashy for Sayo's personal preferences, but if it was for Yukina, then she found it acceptable. After all, Yukina was a diva, born to stand on the stage – having a bit of that aesthetic for their virtual home was suitable. Yukina called it "fleeting". Since when did she learn that term from Seta Kaoru?

It was getting late, but Sayo liked the look of their house so much that she decided to push on just a little further – they had an off-day tomorrow anyway. Yukina said that she wanted the space next to the balcony furnished as a sitting area and Sayo agreed. It would be a shame not to take advantage of the view offered by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that Yukina had suggested. At first, Yukina was quite interested in picking items to furnish the area – a TV set for watching concert DVDs, bookshelves for Sayo, a glass box with bronze edges to serve as their coffee table with low cushions instead of chairs around it to sit on, and Yukina's strongly-requested wool carpet. It took a while to place the carpet though; after several minutes of Yukina saying "ah" to every mistaken placement that Sayo had to fix, she became silent and leaned onto Sayo's side from where she was curled up on the couch. When Sayo finally finished patterning the carpet to satisfaction, she noticed Yukina had fallen asleep.

"Minato-san, let's go to bed now. You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here."

At Sayo's gentle pats on her back, Yukina shifted awake and rubbed the sleep away from her eyes to pretend to have been attentive this whole time. "Have you done placing the carpet?"

"I have. Do you want to see?"

Yukina turned to face the monitor where the game was still running, the player avatar standing still at the edge of the now fully-furnished sitting area. Everything looked beautiful – well, as beautiful as pixelated items could look anyway – but Yukina probably loved the carpet the most, seeing as Sayo had patterned it like a calico cat.

Yukina touched a finger to the screen to trace the cat ears, then relaxed back into Sayo's arms.

"Do you like it?" Sayo asked.

"Cute," she answered with a smile.


	14. Captain RinRin

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I've had this idea for a while, but haven't written it until now. Note that Ako is still considered a minor in this fic despite being 18, because the age of majority in Japan is 20 (until 2022 anyway).

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, mentions of sex, silly yuri comedy

* * *

 **Captain RinRin**

"RinRin, what are you giggling about?"

Ako nagged Rinko from the window seat on the highway bus they were taking. Rinko, herself, was seated facing the aisle. She might be a slight bit apologetic for turning her back on Ako for most of their ride, but the scene that was unfolding on the other side of the aisle was too precious for her to ignore.

"Oh, so you are watching too, Rinko?" came Lisa's hushed whisper from the row behind them.

"Eh? Watching what?" Ako asked rather loudly. Rinko turned around to cover Ako's mouth.

"Shh…"

Sayo and Yukina looked over from across the aisle to see what was going on. Lisa stared out at the window; Rinko started pressing on her smartphone as though she were completely engaged with playing some mobile game. Yukina quickly lost interest and returned to what she was doing previously while Sayo's gaze lingered just a moment longer with some skepticism before she too looked back at Yukina.

"Oh…" Ako muttered, this time more quietly, "RinRin and Lisa-nee are watching Yukina-san and Sayo-san…but why?"

Lisa's smile curved upwards into a "lecherous" grin. "I mean, they are both lookers to start…"

Rinko gave a rare glare and shielded Ako from Lisa. "Imai-san!"

"I mean they look nice together. Look at how cute and fluffy they are. It warms my heart!"

Yukina and Sayo were sharing a set of earbuds. As they listened to the song, each tapped with their finger on their hand rest the rhythm of a separate melodic line, resulting in synced taps that caused them to beam goofily at each other.

"They look happy!" Ako concluded. "They're like playing the drums together! Ako wants to join them!"

"No!" Rinko exclaimed, pulling Ako back into her seat. "It's…umm…best not to disturb them as they are now."

"Eh? But why?"

"What those two do together isn't exactly suitable for an underaged audience. I would know because they keep forgetting to close the curtains…"

"I-MA-I-SA-N!"

"Okay…okay…I will shut up…" Lisa raised her hands in surrender and plopped back onto her seat to leave Rinko and Ako alone. Ako wasn't so happy about the turn of events though.

"Ako may still be underaged, but Ako isn't a child! Ako is eighteen!"

"I know…it's…not that. Umm…how should I put it? You see the way Yukina-san and Hikawa-san are right now…?"

Rinko's voice trailed off as both Ako and she stole glances at the other side of the aisle again. This time, Yukina and Sayo's hands weren't on their hand rest but under it, subtly entwined. Sayo was angled towards Yukina, their knees touched. She was saying something to Yukina, her voice too low to discern what she was talking about, but both were smiling gently.

"They are holding hands and smiling?" Ako answered.

Rinko blushed at Ako's directness. "Umm…yes…they are acting differently from usual…is…I guess…what I am trying to say. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Ako-chan…I don't know if I'm saying this right, but…like…pretend we're on the shore and the aisle that separates us from them is the ocean."

"Okay?" Ako blinked, clearly confused. But she loved wild imaginations, so she wasn't about to complain. The Aisle Ocean it was then, deep abyssal domain of the dark water spirits – unleash thy…thy…flailing tentacles? That didn't sound right.

"Ako-chan? Ako-chan?" Rinko called to get Ako's attention again. She nodded twice.

"Uh huh. I am listening!"

"So like…Yukina-san and Hikawa-san are like…on a ship…in the ocean. We can see them as the only thing in the vast waters, but…to them…we're specks amongst a crowded cityscape. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"A ship? Like a pirate ship? Or a luxury cruise?"

"More like a raft since who'd make bets that they'd get together…" Lisa's unsolicited opinion garnered Rinko's glare once more.

"That's not the point, Ako-chan. The point is…"

"Then who's the captain? I don't think Yukina-san has a good sense of direction…" Ako interrupted. Lisa burst out laughing and, again, that caught Yukina and Sayo's attention. Sayo was giving Lisa a hard, questioning stare now, and didn't break eye contact until Yukina turned her around and spoke loudly enough for the rest of the band members to hear:

"Let them watch. We have nothing to hide."

And with that, Yukina pulled Sayo's head down to kiss her lips. Lisa looked impressed and might've said an admiring "wow", Rinko's face burned but she kept peeking out from between her own fingers, leaving only Ako watching unfazed.

"Ooooooooh…now I get what kind of ship you are talking about. Relation _ships_. Of the romantic kind. I've always known about _that_ ship and how you've captained it, RinRin."

"Eh?" Rinko gasped. Ako dug through Rinko's backpack and took out a notebook that contained designs of their stage outfits, and…well…the models of said outfits were always Yukina and Sayo, and Rinko might've drawn them in somewhat intimate positions in some of the sketches…

"No! A-Ako-chan! You…you aren't supposed to see this…!"

"What's the big deal? At least I haven't seen them having sex like Lisa-nee has…"

"AKO-CHAN!"

As Rinko tried futilely to shut Ako up while simultaneously combusting from her own embarrassment, Lisa just shook her head and mumbled something along the lines of "kids these days certainly grow up fast…"


	15. Dr Hikawa's Receptionist

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I just wanted to write Yukina as a cynical adult. All of this came from a series of stupid conversations I had on Twitter. I'm aware canon Yukina has a feminine speech pattern instead of sounding like the world owed her a million dollars, and that gay marriage is not yet legal in Japan.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cynical adult Yukinya, as such probably OOC but I think it's funny

* * *

 **Dr. Hikawa's Receptionist**

There were many decisions that Minato Yukina would look back at and frown at her own naivety, but the worst offender was definitely trying to take revenge on the whole music industry by…joining the music industry.

At least in terms of the financial reality of things, it was utterly unfeasible. She would learn that after bare-passing through high school and flunking her university entrance exams in exchange for her music "career". She didn't find much of a career in the end. Roselia disbanded when Rinko, Lisa, and Sayo decided to go to college – the correct decision, the cynical old fart that Yukina had become would agree. Yukina had pursued a solo career in the meantime. It had gone fine at first, but she quickly came to conflicts with the inner workings of the industry, much like her father before her, and found herself starving for cash to survive.

On the other hand, Rinko ended up with a pretty well-paying job as a fashion designer somewhere in Europe. Was it France? She couldn't remember anymore – Rinko moved around quite a bit for her work. Lisa took marketing in college and worked at some toy-making corporation for some time, but who even played with toys now that kids had smartphones and video game consoles? When the company folded she took her expertise to revamp the Hazawa Café into a cookie-making business. Apparently, they now sold overpriced products overseas to weebs who lapped up anything made-in-Japan, so probably doing pretty well, Yukina would assume. Even Ako had pooped out a kid. Actually, make that two. They were loud brats who smacked chopsticks onto their bowls of goddamn miso soup as though they were playing the drums, all the while praying to the "Overlord of the Eighteenth Level of Hell", whoever that would be. As for Sayo…well…she was now Yukina's boss, so there.

"Minato-san, the file for the patient in room three?" – came Sayo's voice down the hall. Shit, she had forgotten to bring the file to Sayo – or Dr. Hikawa as she was to be called in the clinic. Yukina fetched it from where it lay on her table and brought it over.

"I thought you were supposed to see this patient fifteen minutes ago?" Yukina asked Sayo as she handed over the file.

"The last patient was a little…umm…difficult. I had to take a little more time with his appointment."

"You said that about the patient before that. And the one before that."

"I know. I will try to be more concise…"

Yukina narrowed her eyes and showed Sayo her empty hand in a gesture for cash.

"…and I will compensate you for overtime, of course."

"Good."

When Sayo disappeared into room three, Yukina returned to her desk at the clinic's reception. Three more patients left. They had all checked in already, and Yukina had their files ready. There wasn't much to do anymore, seeing as the paperwork for last month was already completed and sent off as necessary, and there wasn't enough to work on for this month so early on. The couple reports they got back from labs were sorted and awaited Dr. Hikawa's decision on whether there was anything concerning that would require Yukina to call the patients back for a follow-up. Yukina hated doing that. She hated talking to people on the phone in general. Sure, she had never been afraid to speak her mind, but that didn't entail speaking politely with a happy lilt to her voice – gosh, she sang emo goth rock back in the days, okay? She wasn't Hello Happy World.

Sayo was indeed quicker with the next two patients. Their symptoms were so obvious Yukina mused even she could dish out the diagnosis of that horrid cold that had been going around their town the past month – working at a clinic meant Yukina had caught it on the first wave and was now immune, thank goodness. She swore she had blown off her nose and was only starting to grow back the skin that had peeled from excessive wiping. These two patients didn't even look that bad, they looked to be young salarymen who were probably here for a sick note because their bosses were such shits they couldn't even work at home otherwise. Perhaps Yukina should be grateful her boss was Sayo, and Sayo being Sayo, med school hadn't unlearned her favourite sentence in the world – "If you say so, Minato-san." It did help that Yukina regularly bribed her with fries – as regularly as would be healthy anyway. Sayo cared too much about sodium and fat intake these days.

"Satou. Satou Hiromi." Sayo called for the last patient of the day as the aforementioned salaryman walked out to the foyer. He came over to Yukina with the prescription in hand. "Would you happen to know where I can get this filled?" he asked. Yukina answered with directions to the pharmacy down the street. Cough syrup, huh? Yukina wondered if Sayo prescribed that to stop the cough, or just to knock the poor guy out so he'd finally get some rest – he looked like he hadn't slept for a week.

What a miserable country they lived in with this kind of work culture… Yukina sighed her old-people sigh and lamented the future of their society. Okay, she was thirty, not eighty, but that was old enough. She had a mortgage to pay.

With the patient out the door and the remaining patient still in the consultation room with Sayo, the foyer was now empty save Yukina. She flipped the sign on their front door to "Closed", moped down the floors with 1-to-99 diluted bleach, washed her hands and just stared off to space…or rather, to the depths of Sayo's aquarium, which sat on the corner of the room beside the little play area for bored kids. Sayo had horrible taste in fish. The ones she kept weren't edible, nor did they look nice, just little black blobs that could be mistaken for floating soot. The algae she kept was equally boring. Yukina thought the marinated type that came with the kimchi at yakiniku restaurants looked prettier. Then again, Sayo always had the worst taste in aesthetics. She did think performing in a cap with towels around their necks was a good idea back in the days – Yukina wondered why she hadn't bothered to retort her then. They needed Rinko to revamp the aquarium. Make it look like a coffin or something, with clock hands jabbing out like jail fences. The only redemption for the miserable aquarium was Yukina's installation of cat statues. There was a standing calico, and a black cat lying down as though asleep, a smaller gray one on its back swiping a paw at the bubbler. They were the cutest. The patients loved them. The fish loved them. And Yukina loved them.

"Dearest, you are my dearest…" Yukina sang to her cats in the aquarium. This was her sanctuary – her cat shrine underwater. Drops after drops of her warm feelings accumulated in the depths…who was she kidding? Just what the hell had she been thinking when she wrote those lyrics as a teenager? Right, she had dreamt up the most over-the-top imagery after going to a waterpark and getting traumatized over being unable to hit a beach ball. Come on, she had been sixteen. It was forgivable.

Speaking of when she was a teen…

Yukina went back to her desk to fetch a certain item she had recently rediscovered while cleaning her house – a cat-shaped USB that used to belong to a certain chuuni. Come to think of it, Yukina never did read the contents of that USB, huh? It was supposed to be a song produced by the chuuni? Or maybe it was a letter asking her to duel or something. Yukina would never understand why that chuuni and a certain Mitake Ran had been so obsessed with surpassing her younger self – surpassing what? Her emoness? Just stay in school, kids.

Since Yukina hadn't read the USB's contents back then, she certainly wouldn't be doing it as a cynical mortgage-laden adult. It would, however, make a perfect companion for her underwater cats. As such, Yukina pried open the aquarium's lid and surveyed the best place to drop the USB…

"Minato-san, I would appreciate it if you do not feed a USB to my fish."

Yukina turned her head back to see Sayo standing behind her. She was waving to the patient who had just exited from the clinic.

"It's not for your fish. It's for my cats. They are lonely."

"Right…" Sayo looked around, seemingly making sure they were alone, then took a step to close the distance so she could wrap her arms around Yukina's waist. "What about this instead? I think it would do better than that USB."

She fished something out from the pocket of her lab coat – another little statue of not one but two little kittens nudging their head against one another, one lavender with a black bow around its left ear, another a fluff of turquoise with droopy lime-coloured eyes.

Yukina took it from Sayo while trying to look as grumpy as her blushing face would allow. "This doesn't let you off the hook for paying my OT salary."

"Mrs. Hikawa, you keep all the money I make already. You are the one paying me, not the other way around."

"Then you're getting 20% less this month. No more whaling on gacha for that puppy mobage you're playing."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?"

For all the stupid decisions Yukina had made in the past, she did make a correct one – that was, to marry…

She took it back. She would never admit this to an audience, to herself, and most of all to Dr. Hikawa.


	16. Blanket Wars

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I was writing a more serious fic, but got sleepy and as I was lazing in bed I came to appreciate my blanket very much.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, somewhat nonsensical and OOC comedy, one joking mention of sex

* * *

 **Blanket Wars**

"Minato-san!"

Sayo was cold. Freezing, even. It was the dead of winter and that little portable heater in their room wasn't cutting it. Her breath was literally fogging up and she was shivering because her only relief from this frigid hell – their blanket – was currently wedged in Yukina's death grip.

Sayo tugged at the pitiful little corner of the blanket she still held. It did not budge. Sayo prided herself for her arm strength after years of archery practice, and also knew that Yukina had hardly any in comparison, being unable to open any jars in their kitchen. Since when did she become Wonder NyaNya?

She had no choice but to wake Yukina up. The question was how. She shook Yukina's shoulders. She squeezed on said shoulders – Yukina moaned from the pain and reflexively smacked her arm into Sayo's face. Luckily, her nose remained intact. If physical force wouldn't work, she'd try cooing. She wrapped her arms around Yukina's waist and nudged her bruised nose against Yukina's cheek.

"Minato-san, please wake up."

"Unn…itchy…"

If Sayo ever videotaped this and sent it to their Garupa group chat, she was sure Mitake Ran would laugh at least three days and nights over this. Then again, if she told Mitake-san that Yukina wore a cat-eared hoodie to sleep every night and refused to change out of it every morning, resulting in a fifteen-minute cat and mouse chase between Sayo and herself to forcibly strip her nude (or should it be termed a dog and cat chase for accuracy?), she was sure not just Mitake-san, but probably half the chat's members would die from hyperventilation. Let's not do that though, because Ako and Rinko would get a cerebral hemorrhage from the shock of their idol's not-so-idol-like habits.

But this musing gave Sayo the perfect idea.

She put her hands around the cat ears on the hood of Yukina's jacket and - _whoosh_ – pulled it down. Yukina shrieked. Was it a "NYAAAAAAAAAAH!?" A claw – hand – swiped for Sayo. Duck, duck, dodge. In a blind attempt to put her hood back on, which obviously was behind her but half-asleep Yukinya wouldn't know that, Yukina freed the blanket from her grasp. Sayo jumped for it, sailing above Yukina's low sweep to land on the opposite side of the bed. Damn, it was some breathtaking bedroom acrobatics there, and no sex was involved. Sayo was pretty darn impressed by herself, not that she would ever admit it. The moment she grabbed the blanket, she rolled herself in it like a burrito. At that point, Yukina finally opened her eyes, woken by the chilling cold.

"Sa…Sayo?" She crawled over and tugged on the blanket. No way Sayo was going to give it up now.

She tossed Yukina her giant cat pillow for consolation.


	17. Whale Harbour

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I thought Yukina's last name, which literally means "harbour", is a fitting name for a whale XD  
And yes, I'm the one who kept getting Tae 4*s instead of the Sayo I wanted. (I like Tae too, but...but...Sayoooooo...)

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, somewhat ooc, comedy

* * *

 **Whale Harbour**

Yukina and Sayo had opposed to the idea of having a mobile rhythm game made after their image.

"But Yukina-senpai, it's a great opportunity to share your songs with a large audience, right? It's going to be a lot of fun!" Toyama Kasumi insisted. Why she wanted to pull Yukina and Roselia along on all her wild ideas, Yukina had no idea, but she could at least try to be civil if only out of respect for Kasumi's cute hairstyle.

"Roselia has no need to promote ourselves in this manner," she answered. Yes, this answer was considered civil in Yukina's mind.

"Aren't you just being old-fashioned?" Mitake Ran interrupted. Yukina quirked an eyebrow – was she in on this game thing too? She knew HaroHapi and PasuPare were already in on this, but that was expected considering one band just wanted to make people smile, and the other was devoted to promoting an idol image. But why the hell did Afterglow join too? "You see, Minato-san, Afterglow is a band that will communicate our strong and genuine feelings to as many people as possible. We do not look down on any stage. We do not see this as a silly game but a great opportunity in the new digital era. But I'm not going to try and convince you. I mean, I can understand it's difficult for you to get a hang of new technology at your age…"

Was she seriously calling Yukina _old_!? Yukina was a year older than her, not a decade!

The remark hit a nerve though. Yukina couldn't stop herself from wanting to prove Mitake-san wrong, so instead of just refusing the deal using her leader status, she passed it on for discussion with the rest of the Roselia members. Ako was overjoyed. She would be a game character? There was nothing more exciting than that – okay, maybe the opportunity to collect every single card of her idol Yukina-san. RinRin was euphoric too, nearly fainted from the excitement and had to sit down on the sofa to calm herself. Lisa became the deciding vote. She looked towards Yukina for instruction but Yukina just looked away. Ah, so Yukina was being a tsundere again. Realizing this, Lisa cast her vote with RinAko's and thus it was decided to the exasperation of Sayo and…(not) Yukina that Roselia would be appearing in the _Girls' Band Party_ mobage.

When the game came out, Rinko, Ako, and Lisa played it a lot. Ako and Lisa were pretty decent since both were in the rhythm section of their band. Rinko's PC game experience helped too, because she had developed good reflexes on first-person shooters, and she caught on soon enough. A week after playing they were FC'ing the expert songs and Ako started taking it up a level by trying to play on one hand. Yukina knew Sayo was getting really frustrated, because she was still struggling to play normal. It was literally driving her nuts; anybody could see how dark Sayo's eyebags had gotten, and once Yukina caught her playing just before practice and she nearly smashed her phone onto the ground when she jumped in surprise. It took a few months, but Sayo started getting really good at the game. Even better than Ako. All perfects on even the hardest song. She was insane. Yukina couldn't quite understand why Sayo would put so much time on a stupid game, so she asked Sayo what was so fun about it.

"I…I do not think it's fun!" Sayo replied, face flushing red. "Umm…it's just…I…I was trying to improve my sense of rhythm. So, I'd play more accurately on my guitar. That really is all!"

"Really?" Lisa sidled up to Sayo and gave her a sly grin. "I totally did not catch you tiering for the last event and spending 50k stars to whale in the new 4* Yukina…"

"Imai-san!"

"What do you mean by whale? As in the marine mammal?" Yukina asked.

"Well, Sayo is a mammal alright, and I guess she can swim?" Lisa said with a laugh, "Important thing is all her blubber is made of cash."

Lisa reached a hand out to pinch Sayo's belly. She bounded away. "I am free-to-play! I saved up all my stars, unlike you who can't stop pulling on whichever gacha features a card with a cute outfit!"

"I'm sorry I don't have a girlfriend to obsess over so much that I need to collect every digital version of her too."

"Imai-san!"

Yukina still didn't get it. If Sayo was having so much fun with the game, she supposed it wouldn't be bad to try it out too. She wanted to understand Sayo better. Besides, she was somewhat thankful that the game had raised the sales of their latest single by a considerable margin, edging out Afterglow, which made Mitake-san livid of course.

What Yukina didn't know was that this was the entrance to a hell she would never return from.

At first, she thought the game was weird. Hearing her own pre-recorded lines on random thoughts about the season and such was weird, so were multi-lives where you might end up in a room with five Yukina clones as leaders, making the real Yukina playing the game extremely confused. The game play was somewhat tough, as Yukina was new to rhythm games, or rather, games in general. She was satisfied just playing easy or normal though – it wasn't as though Mitake-san would know the ten thousandth "New Staff" on the server was her, and she could always just rebuke saying she had better use of her time than mastering a rhythm game if Mitake-san ever asked.

But then came along Yukina's first 2500 stars and she figured she'd pull on the gacha because, according to Lisa, that was what the stars were for (Lisa also said something about how never to use stars to finish her failed lives, and how they could be used to recover live boosts when tiering for an event, all of which Yukina didn't really bother to understand). Yukina didn't know what to expect of the gacha. Which cards were good, which cards were bad, she couldn't tell, nor was it important for her. But when that last card came with yellow lights and Sayo's voice sounding "It seems something large from over there is approaching", Yukina froze. Something huge was coming indeed. Sayo's NFO card graced her in its glory, the noble knight outfit was nice, and her expression in desperation to shield Yukina was so endearing. It took a while after the gacha results before Yukina would figure out that she could change in-game Sayo's costume to that of the card, and even later before she learned how to practice and train cards. The trained Sayo card was amazing. Her gallant pose wielding the guitar in one hand, a light sword in the other was…well…a little over-the-top but Yukina would not admit that deep inside her otome heart she thought it looked cool. This would become a gateway towards Yukina's future whaling habits.

Yukina started pulling on more gachas to get all of Sayo's old cards. Suffice to say, it wasn't that easy. Lisa started explaining to her about rate-ups and how Yukina's dream card, Alluring Hand Sayo, was only available during Dream Fes and she had been pulling futilely in the wrong gacha all along. Unfortunately for her, Dream Fes was in two days and she had just exhausted her stars. What to do?

"Well, you could pay for stars I suppose?" Lisa suggested.

Yukina knew it was a bad idea but Dream Fes Sayo's picture on her phone lock screen (yes, she had loved it so much she set it as lock screen in place of her usual pictures of kittens!) staring back at her was urging her to open up her wallet. And so she did. All twenty thousand yen of it. And another twenty thousand yen from her bank account when her wallet failed her. By the time she got the Sayo card, she was so relieved she collapsed onto her bed in both love and hate.

At least Yukina was rational enough to start setting limits on how many pulls she'd do on every Sayo gacha. Her limit was quite…generous though. Two hundred pulls. An equivalent of 50k stars. After playing a little more than a year, she had collected almost every Sayo card already. Of course, the game would not let her off the hook so easily. Dream Fes hit again with the most beautiful limited edition Sayo 4*. Yukina might have some beef with the untrained version – specifically with Lisa ogling her girlfriend like that – but the trained version was absolutely flawless. She didn't know who to blame for her predicament after failing to get the card on two hundred pulls, Lisa for the actions of her digital version, Rinko for designing such a gorgeous outfit that then got adapted by this card, or Hanazono Tae for stealing Sayo's place on Yukina's gacha results. Yukina had managed to get every single non-limited Tae 4* not just once, but twice. She was not a rabbit. She might not hate Hanazono-san per se, but she did not have that much love to spare for her either.

Since Yukina was a responsible(?) adult living alone, she had the luxury of rolling her face on her cat pillow and groaning incessantly like a prepubescent brat without anybody noticing…except Sayo, who Yukina had completely forgotten would be visiting her today and she had used the spare keys Yukina had given her when Yukina didn't answer the door while wallowing in her misery. Sayo stood over Yukina now, perplexed.

"Wh…What's wrong, Minato-san?"

What happened when Yukina had caught Sayo playing Garupa replayed itself again, but this time it was Yukina jumping and nearly breaking her phone. Luckily, Sayo caught it in the air. "Is Minato-san playing the game too?" she asked when she glanced at the screen, then her jaws dropped upon deeper realization. "…and you were trying to draw my card?"

The two of them stared awkwardly at each other, until both looked away with red faces anyway. Yukina was finally the first to speak…whisper. "Put on that outfit, Sayo."

"Eh?"

"The outfit on the trained card. Mine is in my drawer."

"But, it's…"

"No buts."

What could Sayo say? She couldn't exactly refuse Yukina's request – such words did not exist in her vocabulary. "If…If you say so, Minato-san." She relented. It was embarrassing, but she did as she promised, putting on the outfit and accessories and styling her hair just like that card, low ponytail adorned by roses and pearls and all. She came out of the washroom with a face redder than what it was when she went in. It was positively glowing like a traffic light. Of course, wearing the stage outfit while clearly not on-stage was embarrassing enough, not to mention, this particular dress was tailored for Yukina, not Sayo herself – it was…umm…very short, to put it mildly.

"Mi…Minato-san…may…may I change out of this now?" Sayo asked, trying desperately to pull the dress down, and when it had little effect, she tried to at least cover her panties with her hands.

"Not yet," Yukina said, cornering Sayo to the wall.

Maybe Yukina meant never, because by the strength of her proceeding bear hug, she didn't seem like she'd be letting go any time soon.


	18. My Love Came Home

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Wanted to write a celebratory short sequel to my earlier Yukina whaling fic because I finally drew the Sayo 4*. Because it's a 400-word fic, I decided to post it as a separate entry.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, somewhat ooc, comedy, 400-word flash fiction

* * *

 **My Love Came Home**

Yukina didn't want Sayo to know how petty she was, wallowing over her inability to whale _The Same Place To Go_ Sayo card home, but what was done was done. At least she got the excuse to hug the real version for five minutes.

"Umm, Minato-san, I saw that you haven't yet FC'ed hard and expert songs," Sayo tried to choke out the words while Yukina crushed her ribs. Where the frail leader of Roselia found that strength? No one would know.

"What about it?" Yukina asked indignantly.

"You can get stars from FC'ing at those difficulty levels."

Yukina finally let go of Sayo, shoving her phone at her. "Please."

And so, after AP'ing twenty-five songs at both levels, 2500 stars showed up on Yukina's account again. Yukina rearranged her main team, changed her badge to that of the _Shimmering Summer Water Paradise_ event, changed her username to Minyato for extra cat-god-blessed luck and then…shoved the phone back to Sayo.

"Eh?"

"You are wearing the outfit. You can do it. I believe in you."

Sayo's hand quivered a bit. That was some serious responsibility here. Or maybe that was Yukina's sly plan: guilting Sayo to pay for another ten-pull if she couldn't get the card with the ten pulls this time.

Oh well, at least Yukina's account was still quite farmable. Worst came to worst Sayo would play another twenty-five songs and…hope that was the end of it. She'd worry later.

And so Sayo pulled up the gacha, held her breath, and pressed the button. 2* Tomoe, Tomoe, yellow lights came on with Tae's silhouette, a dupe from the current event, then another 3* Tae from that fireworks event whatever it was called. Why were the cards coming in pairs? The next card was a 2* Himari. So the sixth card was going to be another Himari?

Nope. Rainbow lights. Sayo's silhouette. Sayo might've heard a scream. She couldn't quite believe serious and dignified Minato-san, or Minyato-san(?), would scream over a mobage.

 _"Yes, if we do not carefully consider this…"_ Sayo's voice sounded in-game with the line from the new card and Minyato-san immediately snatched the phone over to stare so closely at the screen that she might as well be kissing it. Sayo couldn't say she didn't understand the feeling but…

Hello there? The real version is beside you, Minyato-san. You could at least kiss her instead?


	19. The Song of Spring

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I wrote a lot of notes on AO3, but they are full of spoilers, so I'm not gonna repost them here.

 **Tags:** supernatural AU, winter spirit Sayo, cat demon Yukina, self-hatred, implied/referenced suicide, eventual happy ending, platonic sibling love between Sayo and Hina

* * *

 **The Song of Spring**

Part I

 _Run when you hear the songs of a koto on a blizzard night. The winter spirit is after your life._

Such was the legend that circulated in the village of Hikawa. In fact, the village was named after a river that ran from the mountain backing it to the lake downstream – it was said that the winter spirit could freeze the river into blue ice in an instant. The villagers held nothing but fear for this deity. While the twin summer spirit was revered in a brightly-lit shrine in town, the winter spirit's shrine was large and carefully-crafted, littered with expensive jade magatama, but it lay high up the mountain where none dared to venture alone. The shrine held not a shred of love, but that of forced respect – the villagers prayed for the winter spirit to stay there, to leave the village untouched.

There should be nobody up there on this fateful winter night.

But a young woman defied the warnings and treaded up the mountain anyway, following the waters of the Hikawa River hurtling down by her side. The moon was high, lighting the frosted rocks a silver that matched the woman's hair. Her path was narrow and uneven, running between the river and a thick tangle of frozen vegetation to her other side. She inched forward, her steps dinting the frost through her straw sandals. Just a little further. Just a little further and she would reach the river's source where the shrine was located. She panted under her breath, shifting her weight to the foot she had secured on a relatively flat rock so she could bring her other foot forward. Right that moment…

Her heat melted through the frost and the sandal found wet moss underneath. The rock no longer held her weight. She slipped, her hands flailed, trying to grasp something, anything, but there was just air. Her wide eyes saw the sky a split second later – just the sky and the silver moon as its centerpiece. She fell headfirst into the river.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Atop the frozen river walked a woman with long turquoise tresses, her robes of white silk fluttered in the wind. Her skin was pale, almost as pale as the snow, but she did not seem cold, her steps were strong and calm with not a single shiver on her. She knelt onto the ice that still bore ripples of the once flowing river. There, on its surface, was an injured animal.

"A cat?"

The cat's coat was long and silver in colour with hints of wisteria violet. The woman tried to run her fingers through it, but the cat stirred, and noticing her, hissed. Its eyes were a fierce gold. They bore into the woman's green counterparts, losing not the slightest in their coldness.

The woman withdrew her hand.

"My name is Sayo. I am here to help you."

The cat stopped hissing, but it kept glaring at her. It tried to stand, couldn't – one of its paws looked injured, red and swollen.

"Here. At least let me keep you warm," Sayo said, taking off her haori to drape it over the cat instead. For all its previous aggression, the cat accepted the offering easily, pulling the haori around itself with its uninjured limbs and cuddling into the fabric, refusing to show more than a pair of eyes and ears above the folds. Its gaze looked a little softer now, searching Sayo for…something. Food, maybe? Sayo smiled apologetically at it.

"I am sorry, I do not have food with me right now. Let me return to my home for some. Will you be okay out here alone? I would offer to take you back with me, but you do not seem to like the idea…"

Sayo made another attempt to touch the cat. It craned its head forward, trying to bite. Sayo sighed. "Thought so. Then I shall return in a bit."

Sayo returned with some chicken. She had never kept a cat before and could only surmise from her experience with wolves that cats, too, ate meat. She put a piece of raw chicken on the ice, but the cat did not take it, squirming away in distaste. She put down a chicken skewer instead – she had cooked it over the fire and seasoned it with some salt. To her surprise, the cat found more interest in that. It bit off morsels from the skewer and consumed the meat with such elegance that Sayo found herself in shame. Sayo vowed to improve her own manners.

After the cat finished its meal, it scratched a claw on the frozen river and tried to lick the slivers, presumably for water? It got its tongue accidentally stuck on the ice though, and its fur stood up in panic.

"Don't move! You'll hurt yourself," Sayo called. "Here, I will defrost that for you."

Sayo ran a fingertip on the ice and light spread from her onto the frozen surface, which melted immediately. It formed a small puddle of water for the cat to drink from, but the cat instead turned towards Sayo in what looked like bewilderment.

"Drink up," Sayo said with a smile. She was not ready for an explanation, and what good would it do to explain to a cat? The cat did not seem pleased with Sayo's decision, its golden eyes still trained on Sayo. Sayo reached a hand over to rub the cat's head – this time it didn't resist. "If you're good, I will tell you more some day, okay?"

The cat reluctantly closed its eyes and nudged its head into Sayo's palm. It was so cute – Sayo felt her heart melting into a puddle, just like the ice she defrosted. No, she had to control herself. She was a fearsome _spirit_ , not some innocent peasant girl. She withdrew her hand and the cat stared at her again, this time with longing and not irritation. "Drink first." Sayo gestured to the water. "If you like the way I rub your head, I can do it as much as you want if you would come home with me."

The cat licked up some water, then dipped its head in the puddle, rolling its face in it. Sayo thought cats were afraid of water? This cat didn't seem averse to it. Was it trying to wash itself? But didn't cats clean by licking? Maybe Sayo was just generalizing. The cat lifted its face from the water and shook to try and get the water off. It rubbed its paws on its face, but it was still wet, making the cat frown and stare at Sayo…for help? Sayo brought the haori over the cat's face and rubbed it dry. The cat purred contently, then once it was satisfied, it squirmed out of Sayo's grasp and retreated into the haori bundle where it was dry. "I will lift you up and take you home now, okay?" Sayo said. The cat didn't answer her. She took it as agreement – an unfair assumption, she knew, because what were the chances the cat understood her?

Sayo picked up the haori bundle, the cat remained within it, shifting only to settle itself in Sayo's arms, its head burying into the inner side of Sayo's elbow. Sayo cradled the cat close to her, relishing in a body warmth she hadn't felt in a long, long time. It was such a precious feeling. The furrow of her eyebrows relaxed to this warmth, and she found herself dipping down her head to nuzzle the cat through the haori fabric. The cat sneezed.

"Ah, we should get you back to my house quickly, else you would catch a cold. Do cats catch colds?" Sayo wondered to herself. No matter, she hurried her steps.

* * *

Sayo soon learned she picked up a rather unusual cat. Owing to its injury, or perhaps its personality, it didn't move around a lot, spending most of its time curled up on the veranda of Sayo's shrine, wrapped in the little blanket Sayo had made for it the first day it started living here. Actually, even if it weren't lazing around, the cat would still tow the blanket along wherever it went, draping it over its back and hissing whenever Sayo tried to pry it away. The only time it would let go of the blanket was probably when it took baths, not that Sayo would know for certain because it would try to bite if Sayo followed.

"You are such a shy kitten," Sayo said while rubbing the cat's head. It twisted and turned to avoid Sayo's hand and then glared at her indignantly as though it understood what Sayo had said. "I am sorry. Did I make you mad?" Sayo let a giggle slip. She would _never_ giggle in front of others, but if it was a cat, it was probably okay. Probably.

It was then that a disturbance echoed through the air – a magical melody that mortals might only hear faintly but was clear and bright to Sayo's ears. The cat perked its head up too, pawing at Sayo's arm.

"Hina's koto…" Sayo muttered, narrowing her eyes in what looked to be annoyance at first glance but really harboured feelings of hurt. "It's that time of the year again."

"Nya! Nya nya nya nya…" the cat kept pawing at Sayo, and when Sayo ignored it, it limped off towards the back of the shrine.

"Wait, don't walk so quickly. Your leg hasn't fully recovered yet!"

Sayo had no choice but to follow after the cat till it stopped at the door of the storage room. The cat tried to climb up to slide the door open by the handle but winced and fell back down onto the ground when it put weight on its injured limb. Sayo bent down to pick it up into her arms. "There is nothing behind that door. Let's go back, alright?"

The cat answered with incessant calls, digging its claw into the fabric of Sayo's collar to pull angrily at it. When Sayo stood up again, it reached its other front paw at the door, waving frantically at it. Sayo heaved a sigh. "Alright, I will let you in. There really isn't anything back there though."

Sayo opened the door of the storage room. It was dark and musty inside, treasures that the villagers had offered piled in dusty crates. Sayo saw no use for them. She was an immortal after all and had no need for worldly things for sustenance. She did eat on occasion – a sort of reminiscence to the days when she was still human – but she would rather hunt her own food than to buy it from the village she had avoided for years.

The cat was not interested in all that though. It tried to leap for the table where a long object sat covered in cloth. "Don't jump. You'll hurt yourself again," Sayo said, holding the cat back. It kept struggling from Sayo's grasp until she set it down gently onto the table.

The cat bit on the cloth and dragged it off from the object, revealing it as a koto. At first, Sayo was bewildered by the cat's purposeful actions, but after it started plucking a melody from the strings – a very familiar melody – she lost it.

"What…Who are you?" She picked up the cat and glared at it. "What is your purpose?"

"Nya nya nya nya nya!" The cat's calls became more animated along its swiping of paws as though gesturing for Sayo to play the koto. Sayo set the cat onto the ground.

"No. I will not play."

"Nya nya nya!"

"No!"

Images from the time when she was human flooded Sayo. Years of war and carnage. News of yet another raid coming. Villagers begged for her powers as an onmyouji and she acquiesced, knowing the feat of bringing winter to stall the incoming invasion was one so great it would take her own life. She projected all her powers through the koto, played until her fingers were bloody. It had sucked away her life till taking her last living breath – with it, the snow finally grew to a blizzard and the river froze to stop the boats from sailing. And what of it? The village was saved from invasion but Sayo was left a cursed spirit. The very people she saved feared her power and enshrined her remains far away to be forgotten. Instead, they revered Hina, her younger twin, the better twin who thawed Sayo's winter and brought summer back.

Sayo gritted her teeth. Everything tasted bitter, even the air she inhaled. She gripped the koto in her hands and smashed it onto the wall behind her. It split to two with a thunderous ring.

"Give up! I will _never_ play again!" she screamed and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Once she was alone, she slipped to the floor and stared out into the empty shrine grounds. Her chest hurt. She had known no pain since becoming a spirit, but it hurt nonetheless. Tears welled in her eyes and she hid them behind her palms.

At some point, Sayo had dragged herself back to her room and fell asleep on the tatami. She might be the very embodiment of winter, but she still felt the cold that seeped into her bones with nightfall. It was eased somewhat when a piece of fabric was pulled over her body. She shifted and was met with alarmed yowling that caused her to wake. She had nearly rolled over onto her cat – presumably the one responsible for covering her up with a blanket.

"Oh, it's you."

"Nya."

Sayo reached a hand for the cat and it nudged its head forward to touch her. The warmth made Sayo smile.

"I am sorry for being so angry this afternoon."

"Nya nya…" the cat answered, reaching at paw for Sayo's face. Only then did Sayo realize that she had been crying again – the cat had wiped away her tears.

"You really are no ordinary cat, are you? You heard the sound of Hina's koto. You knew I kept my koto in the storage room and knew how to play my song as well. You must be a magic creature too. Did you come to hear me play? Is my magic a necessity to you?"

For once, the cat did not make a sound in response. Instead, it crawled closer to Sayo and buried its small head in her chest. When Sayo remained still, the cat pawed gently at Sayo's arm.

"You want me to hug you?"

"Nyaa…"

It was the first time the cat had let Sayo hug it like this. It was an independent and cautious creature. The most it would allow was for Sayo to scratch its chin, and maybe carry it around since it did not move very well owing to its injury. But never would it sleep in Sayo's embrace. Sayo loved the feeling. Its body heat was comforting, and its coat so smooth and soft between her fingers. She nuzzled into the cat's fur. It lifted its head and licked her on the cheek.

"Thank you. I really needed this."

* * *

Part II

Preparations for the Hikawa Festival was under way. Sayo could tell from the beats of drums down the valley where the village lay. In principle, it was a festival celebrating her birth too, but she knew its true purpose was to honour Hina, and knowing this, she could not stand to take part in the festivities.

"But do you want to go?" Sayo asked her cat that she picked up to cradle in her arms. The cat tilted its head and looked at her in confusion.

"Nya?"

"Hina's koto is more powerful than mine. My sound can never compare, both in the strength of magic energy and in the simple beauty of notes in a musical sense. If you need someone to play for you, perhaps I can bring you to her?"

"Nya nya!" The cat shook its head. Sayo smiled apologetically.

"I am sorry. This is the best I can do. So please accept this offer?"

The cat was silent and looked away dejectedly while it wrapped itself in its little blanket again so only its ears were poking out from the top of the bundle. Sayo shifted its weight in her arms and made her way down to the village.

To a mortal, the walk would take hours, but Sayo sprang effortlessly down the rocks that lined the river and made it in a small fraction of the time. It had been very long since she had gone to the village. Much of it was unrecognizable – larger, taller buildings, a busier marketplace selling exotic goods Sayo had never seen before when she had been alive. It was perhaps thrice as big - both by area and by population - as the village she had known. Sayo wasn't really used to the noise and splendour, but her eyes softened at the scene before her. Maybe nobody would remember, but this village had been saved by _her_ efforts. Seeing its prosperous present gave Sayo confirmation that her past sacrifice hadn't been in vain.

The main road through the village still remained and Sayo followed it to where she knew Hina was enshrined. Like the other public spaces, Hina's shrine was crowded, especially so now that they were close to the date of the Hikawa Festival. Colourful banners lined the path to the main shrine building. Worshippers and shrine keepers alike were busy setting up for the festival. Sayo walked past them; the barrier she had cast prevented them from spotting her. Sayo took her cat all the way through the main shrine building to its back where she could feel the presence of Hina's ward. She walked up to it and reached forward with a hand; blue light rippled from thin air, signalling the entrance of the ward.

"Do not be afraid; this is not dangerous. We will be crossing into Hina's dimension now. She should be on the other side," Sayo explained to her cat. She then stepped through the blue light into the other world.

Hina's ward looked like a continuity of the place they were in previously. They had stepped through the back door of the main shrine into a garden, but this garden – unlike its mortal world counterpart – was completely void of people. It was bright and warm, but quiet and calm just as one would imagine the house of a spirit to be like. A pebble path cut through rows of colourful flowers, rounding a koi pond to its water source - a small cascade fed by a magic spring up a short flight of stairs. Perched above the spring was a building of teal roofs, its eaves lined with gold; the pillars were a vermillion red.

"Oneechan, is that you!?" A voice could be heard from the top of the steps. In no time, a young woman bopped down the stairs and pretty much tried to run into Sayo, but Sayo dodged so the embrace met nothingness. "Tch…stingy…"

Hina was Sayo's identical twin. Their facial features were almost indistinguishable from each other except Hina's eyes were slightly more rounded. Hina also stood a bit shorter than Sayo – attributed to Hina's poor sleeping habits when she had been alive. Otherwise, they looked completely the same. But Hina's image was Sayo's opposite. She wore her hair at her shoulders with two small braids tied by yellow ribbons – it made her look more playful. Her attire was similarly in bright hues in contrast to Sayo's pure white. The yukata she wore today was an azure blue decorated by golden chrysanthemum patterns.

"What makes you stop by today, Oneechan? We haven't seen each other for more than a hundred years."

Sayo looked a little rueful at the remark. The last time they had seen each other was Hina running up to her shrine and Sayo had viciously lashed out at her before chasing her down the mountain. She was somewhat sorry for what she had done but was too prideful to apologize. All she could do was to conjure an impassive demeanour.

"I have a favour to ask," Sayo said without addressing Hina's previous remark.

"Oh." Hina sounded a bit disappointed, but she soon hid it behind a bright smile. "Then let's talk upstairs! My worshippers gave me some tasty roasted potatoes. Super duper rururun!"

Sayo nodded. "I would appreciate that."

And so Hina brought them to her house where they settled by the hearth with roasted potatoes in hand. When Sayo peeled hers and started munching on it, her cat pleaded for some. "Is it even safe for you to have potatoes?"

"Nya nya nya."

"It's not even really a cat," Hina answered, breaking off a piece of her potato to give to Sayo's cat, but it scurried away and hissed at Hina instead. "Meanie. And I was trying to be nice too." Hina pouted.

"When you say it's not really a cat…" Sayo muttered questioningly.

"Oneechan hasn't noticed? It's a magical creature. Like you and me. Well, the exact nature might not be the same…how to explain so even Oneechan can understand…it's just taking the _form_ of a cat. It isn't _really_ a cat."

Sayo had had the suspicion based on its behaviour, but no direct proof of it. Hina was more talented and powerful in the magic arts though. She might've detected a faint energy from the cat that Sayo failed to capture.

"So what is the favour you want from me? Does it have to do with this creature?" Hina asked while reaching a hand for the cat. It snapped its teeth, narrowly missing Hina's finger.

"It has been begging me to play my koto, presumably for the magic energy that would be emitted."

"Ah. Simple reason. It needs magic energy to revert back to its original form. See how it's injured? Probably used up its magic reservoir to sustain itself when it was injured, thus adapted the cat form as means of conservation."

"Then can you play for it? Help it recover its original form?"

"Eh?" Hina sounded surprised, pointing at herself. "Me?"

"Yes. That is the favour I am asking for."

"Nya! Nya nya nya!" The cat was screaming and shaking its head. It hit its paws on Sayo's arm, and when Sayo ignored it, it hissed till its hairs were standing up. Hina watched it with quirked eyebrows.

"Doesn't seem like that creature wants my help though."

Sayo stroked a hand down the cat's coat and spoke in an apologetic tone. "I said already, I can't play for you. Please accept this offer."

The cat kept shaking its head. Tired from the outburst, it lay on Sayo's knee and yowled pitifully.

"Oneechan…" Hina interrupted. "Did you break your koto yesterday? I felt its destructive shockwave even from here."

"That is none of your concern, Hina," Sayo snapped.

"I know, but…" Hina paused, her expression losing its usual cheerfulness. "But why wouldn't Oneechan play anymore? I liked Oneechan's sound."

"That is a lie." Sayo insisted.

"I followed Oneechan because Oneechan was everything I wanted to be."

"And I hated it. You knew that, and yet you kept doing everything I would do."

"I…I didn't know…"

"And then you would do it better than me. Everybody would praise you for a good job. Yet when the time came to find a sacrifice to save the village? They came for me!"

Sayo knew what she had just shouted wasn't fair at all. She had taken the post of her own accord, knowing full well the consequences. She hated thinking about it, especially now that all was said and done and she could never go back to undo anything. But no matter how she denied, she alone knew the reason for her past decision. She had wanted recognition. No, she had just wanted to _be_ something other than an utter failure. And more than anything, she had just wanted her miserable life to end.

If she had hung herself instead, she would be a failure even in death. How better else to die than as a hero? Burn like a fire till she herself was consumed to chars. A false valiance to hide her weakness in life, though it was for naught in the end, as the person who truly mattered – herself – could not be fooled.

"I didn't want Oneechan to die. Nobody wanted Oneechan to die."

Hina's voice was weak. Sayo told herself to shut up, but another part of her felt a sort of sadistic joy at seeing Hina like this. The years of pain she had endured – finally Hina could experience a fragment of it. Whether Hina deserved it or not, Sayo's jealousy led her to seek such vengeance.

"And yet everyone abandoned me all the same. Even after they had cremated my body they enshrined my remains far from home for fear of my power. That's right. In life, they all saw me as inferior to you. They never bothered looking at me for I was insignificant. And when I had given up everything to conjure a divine act for their sake?" At this, Sayo gave a bitter laugh. "Nothing. Not a hint of appreciation. I guess I can't blame them either. My sound was either dull or destructive – those two options were all I was capable of-"

"That is not true!" Hina raised her voice to cut off Sayo's ramblings. Tears streamed from her eyes and she struggled to wipe them away. "That is not true at all…I never thought that was all to Oneechan. I don't care what others think, but to me, Oneechan's sound was most beautiful."

Sayo was speechless. She knew Hina wasn't the kind of person to comfort someone with kind words. If there was one thing Hina was poorly skilled at, it would be this. But she couldn't understand what Hina saw in her playing.

"When Oneechan first learned how to play the koto, the sound you made was really rururun. Remember the time you used the music to amplify your magic so the lilies bloomed?"

She had not known that Hina had happened upon her back then. She had hidden from Hina out of shame for her lack of talent, instead secretly practising the koto by the river. The koto had been something Hina had not yet touched upon at that point. It was the only thing Sayo had that Hina hadn't. It had not been easy for Sayo to develop some skill on the instrument, but as her sound improved, as it became a vehicle to make herself stronger, she had grown attached to the music she produced. She finally found something that belonged to her, something that she could wield to create beautiful things such as making the lilies bloom. Her heart bloomed with it. She had found a sliver of love for herself.

And yet soon after, Hina had taken even that sliver away from her. What else did she have left to live for?

"You shouldn't have been there. You shouldn't have listened to my song. I told you to stay away, but you never listened. You stole everything from me. I hate you." Sayo clutched at her left chest. Her heart - which had long ceased beating - still clenched in agony. "It's because of you that my sound became so hollow. It's the comparison. No matter how much I practised, I was overtaken and made completely worthless in comparison to you. I played to my last breath. My final song was nothing but pain. All because of you. You killed me."

"I'm sorry…" Hina lowered her head as though knowing how useless her apology was. "If I vanish forever from this world, would you play again?"

"Why would you go so far just to have me play again? Don't you have any love for yourself!?" Sayo shouted.

Hina, of all people, had no right to engage in such self-destruction. She might've said Sayo was everything she had wanted to be, but the reverse was by far more accurate. Hina's talent was something Sayo had desired since they were children. She never obtained it in the end. And yet Hina had so readily thrown it away back then, following Sayo in death as she exhausted her magic to thaw Sayo's winter upon the end of the war. She shouldn't have to. She could've destroyed Sayo's soul to undo the curse. Hina was perfectly capable of this, but she chose death to preserve Sayo's miserable afterlife. What for? A small part of Sayo might've hated the current Hina for having killed the Hina she used her life to protect. Though Sayo wouldn't admit it, her first motivation for having wanted to become stronger – stronger than Hina – had been borne from love. She might've been jealous of Hina, but never once had she wanted Hina to die, much less because of Sayo herself. She had been a failure. Death had been the only way for her to accomplish something. But Hina had so many options – why? Why had she chosen the worst one?

Sayo hated it. She would never forgive Hina if she were to once again destroy herself.

"Oneechan, you suck…"

"What?"

"You are so selfish. You ask me if I have any love for myself. What about _you_? And do you know even if you hate yourself, there are others who love you?"

Sayo struggled. Was there really anyone who would love her?

"Nyaa…" the cat purred on Sayo's knee. Its golden eyes stared unblinkingly at her. The cat had known Sayo's song. It had come to her on purpose. But what did it really seek? Why was it so particular that it had to be Sayo, and not Hina? Did Sayo really have some "worth" that would make her loveable?

"Oneechan…I promise not to hurt myself, only if you would stop hurting yourself anymore."

Sayo turned to face Hina again. "That is not fair."

"I don't think I've ever been fair, have I?" Hina gave a slight smile. She conjured her koto from the air with her magic – the one used to thaw Sayo's winter – and set it on the table. "Just once, just once, please play your song again. If you decide it's not what you want to do in the future, that's fine. I…I just think maybe there is something you have forgotten about your sound…and it would be so sad if that ends up being the thing that you need to…umm…feel better. So pretty please? I won't bother you again about it, I promise. Just once?"

Sayo brushed her fingers across the strings. She struggled, but in the end, she took the koto into her hands.

"I will think about it."

* * *

Part III

 _"You know why music can amplify our magic, Yukina? It is because music connects to our soul. Our songs tell a story of our lives – they celebrate our very existence in this world."_

Five hundred years ago, the shugo of their homeland had sought the cat demons' powers to cure his mother's illness. Minato Ryuunosuke was sent on behalf of his clowder to treat the old lady, but his healing song was unable to resuscitate her, and in his anger the shugo exiled the cat demons from his domain. It was said that Minato departed from his clowder in disgrace.

Since then, Yukina had been journeying the lands in search of her father.

She would not believe her father was ruined by the ignorant opinions of a mere human. Humans were disgusting creatures who knew only greed. They had no compassion, no appreciation. Music was wasted on their ears. There must be some other reason that prompted Yukina's father's departure. He had always aimed for the greatest heights. He desired perfection in his sound, not just to satisfy his own pride, but to deliver this perfection to his audience. That must be why he had left – to learn all he could from the world to refine his skill. Yukina knew she would cross paths with her father if she pursued the same. Where the best music was played, they would meet each other again.

Her journey had taken her to a small fishing village in the nation's northeast, its name she had already forgotten, for she had visited so many the experiences all blended into each other. The village was unremarkable. Like others, it was situated near a military fort. The fort and the village were codependent, the troops stationed needed the village's produce and goods for sustenance, while the village depended on the patronage for income. But such relationship led to tensions at the time of Yukina's arrival. The fort was situated on high ground, overlooking the village downhill in the river valley. It guarded an important route through the domain, thus was made a target of attack in the ongoing battles, towing along innocent villagers into harm's way.

The time was spring. Yes, there was spring back then, instead of just scalding summers and bitter winters. Spring was a time of mild weather, when the cold had waned but lingered as a refreshing coolness in the breeze. It wasn't quite as dry either. Showers would bless the fields once every couple of days, though not in such excess to flood them. It was the time to sow - a season of beginnings.

But even then, there was something lacking in the air. Cat demons were creatures of the nature. Yukina understood it, felt its imbalance as a consequence of the self-serving actions of humans. They have tainted the earth with bloodshed, angered the gods by using their gifts as tools of war. For every sacred tree the humans burned, a flower would no longer bloom. Such was what the land had become, a place that smelled of copper and ashes, muddied with the impure, burdened with death.

Yukina stood atop an outcrop. She sought the height to find some solace above the world's darkness. A stream flowed below, remnants of what used to be a river turned so dry the water barely covered its rocky bank. Downstream was a lily grove. The bulbs hung lifelessly over drooping leaves, off-white and crimpling, beaten by the sun.

A human had come to the lily grove. She held a hand to one of the dying bulbs, lifting it in her palm. From that distance even Yukina could not see her expression. What was the human thinking? Lament? They had no right to such, seeing as they were the cause of this catastrophe. The human sat down by the lilies and set her instrument between two flat boulders. A koto, Yukina recognized. She scoffed. The sound of humans was no music, just worthless noise made in a vain attempt to imitate the divine. True music cannot be made without sacrifice. One must burn their life and body in exchange for skill, endure the pain and frustration and force oneself forward despite failures. And even when skill is attained, music could only have meaning if you bared your soul with it. Humans were too proud to admit their sins thus their songs could only be false tales, hollow and empty.

The human started plucking on the koto, its sound had a clean ring. She might still be green, for her technique was unsophisticated. But whatever she had learned she played precisely, showing off days and days of repetitive practice. The sound was methodical, lacking in artistry, yet it held a pure, genuine quality, uncorrupted by needless flamboyance. It stayed true to her character, one Yukina had yet to witness from a human. Honest. Modest. She played knowing her inadequacies, compensating her lack of talent with devotion. Life flowed from her veins into her sound. Humans were not magical creatures. Such act would cost their lifespan. Yukina could not condone such self-harm, yet she could not help but respect the self-sacrificing aspect of the human's motivations. She might be trying to hurt herself out of self-loathe, but there was no denial she was also trying to use her meagre life to accomplish something for others. Her life force seeped into the lilies and their form changed. The stems stiffened. The petals lost their creases, the yellowing edges disappeared, becoming white again.

This was the music Yukina had sought, found in the most unsuspecting of places, in the most unsuspecting of individuals. Though still just a bud of what she wanted, she knew it could be nourished into the most beautiful flower. She joined the human's efforts, her voice rang through the forest. The human was the moon, a mirror, needing light to shine. She would grant her that light, be the sun she needed. She used her voice to guide the human, leading the melody, giving it power. The koto fell into the rhythm Yukina established, supporting it, adding colour. Their magic intertwined and amplified till they burst the lilies' buds, causing them to bloom. A flower destined to die from the gods' curse had once again opened its petals. Only when humans recognized their failings to walk back the right path would nature again find its balance. If only all humans could be like this one, the nation would recover its peace.

The dreamlike hour passed without either's notice, only interrupted by a rustle in the undergrowth. The human stopped playing, whirled around cautiously in an attempt to find the source. Without finding it, she packed up her instrument and left, though not without a lingering gaze towards where Yukina stood. Yukina was too far for her to see clearly, basked in the blinding sunset. "Until we meet again," she said. Yukina nodded, accepting the promise.

That "again" would never come.

Upon the end of sowing, manpower was freed to continue the wars. Villagers were conscribed, marched to their deaths. But they were losing. By autumn, the enemy was at their doorstep, a fort away upstream on the river. Winter was not coming quickly enough. They would not be saved from massacre. Yukina wanted to find the human she had met. Her powers were not strong enough to save an entire village but she could at the very least secure a single life, perhaps the only one worth saving anyway. She turned into her cat form and ran through the streets to no avail. It wasn't until the day the altar atop the village became occupied that Yukina would meet the human again.

The human wore the white of the lilies they had bloomed together, her turquoise hair tied loosely behind her. She sat alone, her koto her only company. This loneliness echoed in the sound she produced, painful, helpless, a final cry to the heavens for their protection in exchange for her life. That was right. The human would die here, Yukina realized, spending herself to bring winter. But for what? – Yukina wondered. To save a people beyond salvation? Or to just destroy herself instead of waiting to be destroyed? The human might once have held high ideals, but the impossibility of those ideals had plunged her to devastation. Yukina understood the feeling well, for she too was growing devastated after years of not finding her father – she continued clinging onto the faint hope only because it was all she knew that could keep her going. She thought she had finally found it in this human, yet their difference was too great. A mortal's life was fragile. It expired in what seemed like the span of a single breath. Even the greatest of heroes fell to dust, scattered in the wind.

The least Yukina could do was to give voice to the human's last passage. Their song brought the breeze to a gale, the earth cracked from the frozen groundwater. Snow fell, whirled to a blizzard. Loud noises sounded as the river turned instantly to ice. This was what the cowards wanted. They chose to sacrifice their fellow villager to save themselves, yet when it finally happened they fled in fear. The human's corpse lay cold upon the altar, collapsed over the koto.

They were the only ones here, high above all else in the storm. There was a paradoxical peace found on the human's expression despite her violent death. Her eyes hung open, blood dripped from her lips, but those very lips were curled in a light smile that had yet faded. Had she heard Yukina's voice before the end? Yukina hoped so. The human had deserved as much – someone to recognize her, to stay by her side.

She placed her hand atop the human's eyes and drew them close. With her passing Yukina would again wander. Maybe someday, somewhere, they would find each other once more. If fate would deem it so, no matter the circles of reincarnation, their paths would intersect, and they would stand together at last.

"Until we meet again."

For five hundred years, Yukina had travelled. Every place in this nation and far beyond it she had visited. She heard many sounds with their own merits, passionately thumping beats and rolling flute tunes with undertows of sorrow. She had heard from other spirits, the gods of faraway places, immortalized souls of ancient trees. But whether it be sentiment, Yukina could not forget the sound of the human who brought winter. Tired from her fruitless voyage she reconciled with the fact that she wouldn't find what she desired. She would never find her father, who she had once decided must be seeking the same music as she, but he might really be long gone, cast his melody behind. She would also never find another who could support her voice. The human she loved was dead. Even if she had reincarnated as human again, they might never see each other.

Still, in the human's memory, Yukina returned to the village where they had met. It had been renamed Hikawa after the human and her twin for their sacrifices. A new legend circulated amongst the villagers. "Run when you hear the songs of a koto on a blizzard night. The winter spirit is after your life." The winter spirit was said to be housed at a shrine atop the village, the site of the altar where the human had expired those centuries ago.

The chances were slim, but Yukina was willing to grasp it – the human had been deified as a heroic spirit. She hurried up the mountain in the dead of winter, almost as cold as the one they had brought back then. She must see for herself whether the human had come back. Even though the human's face was already blurry so far back in Yukina's memories, she knew…she knew their music would let them recognize each other again.

But in her hurry a step landed empty. The slip had broken her ankle, pummeled her backwards into the river. Yukina could not swim, and even immortals could die from injury. She did not want to die here. Not when she could be so close to finding the one she desired once more. She flung her arm forward in hopes of grasping something, anything, but there was nothing above her save the moon itself, shining with its reflected light from the sun. Just like her. Just like the human on that fateful day. She was the moon, Yukina's mirror, the only thing that could hold her.

Maybe this was a fitting end.

Yukina collided not with water, but ice. The river had frozen at the moment of contact to keep her from sinking into its depths. A protective spell? It was not a comfortable place to stay immobilized, but Yukina was alive. And she had gotten her confirmation. There was no doubt about it. The human was the winter spirit. She recognized the magic, recognized the hidden kindness beneath it. It would only be time. Yukina could wait. She had waited five hundred years after all, what was another day or two? She turned to cat form to conserve her energy. Her injury was still painful, so much so that she was about to pass out. As her consciousness began fading, she found comfort in knowing that soon…soon Hikawa would be here.

* * *

It was the night of the Hikawa Festival. Sayo sat on the veranda of her shrine, listening to the distant sounds of celebration that rang through the valley. Hina's song joined them. Though only magical creatures could hear its sound clearly, even the villagers could feel its effect in the warming wind.

"You hear that? You feel that? That is Hina's talent. Her sound brightens the world. This is what everybody wants," Sayo said, stroking the top of her cat's head and down the back of its neck. It craned out of Sayo's grasp and pattered over to where Hina's koto was placed, meowing at it. Sayo looked over in exasperation, but the cat was not considerate of Sayo's reservations. It tapped a front paw on the wooden frame of the instrument.

"Aren't you insistent?"

"Nyaa…"

"That was not a compliment." Sayo bopped the cat's nose lightly with her finger. It ducked a second bop, rounding to Sayo's back where she couldn't reach it.

Sayo reluctantly took a seat in front of the koto. A sound she had forgotten, one that would bring her happiness, huh? She could just remember the one time by the river next to the lily grove, her song interwoven with a beautiful voice. It had been ecstasy. Time and space seemed to have disappeared, leaving only the two of them and their shared melody. If only it could go on forever. Now she knew, Hina had been the one to interrupt them. It was always Hina. Hina who stole everything from her. How ironic Hina wanted to bring Sayo's happiness back now. It was impossible. The person who had sung with Sayo was probably long dead, and Sayo's sound had turned bitter from how it had been used to bring her own painful end. Sayo brushed her fingers across the strings Hina had once played. But what use was there to cling onto her hatred for Hina? It had already been five hundred years, and even to an immortal, that was a long time. Perhaps it really was time to let go. The question was how?

Hina and Sayo's cat thought that Sayo would find an answer in playing the koto. It was ludicrous, but she might as well do it once just to prove the point.

She plucked the first note. The sound stung. She was reminded of the last time she played, right here in this place, but before the shrine had been erected. The empty altar where she had sat alone, her breaths filled with the scent of death that came with the end of summer. With each phrase that she had played, she had robbed the air of more warmth, stole the last liveliness around her. The bringer of winter was none other than a reaper, and the first soul she had reaped was her own. Where was the joy in all this?

Sayo's magic energy ebbed out of her with her reluctant song, floating aimlessly throughout her shrine. But it was then that Sayo heard a voice. Smooth yet powerful, cold yet shining. The sound was like that of the sun, but not the same sun Hina embodied. Rather, a sun that would shine in the night, in Sayo's night. Sayo had always stood in the darkness, in Hina's shadow. But this light touched her like no other. With it by her side, even Sayo could shine like the moon in the skies.

She had heard this voice twice, the first time at the lily grove, the second time… She finally remembered it. It had been moments from her death. Her body had been screaming in pain, her lungs filled with blood, leaving her choking. Flesh had peeled from her fingers over the koto's strings. At that point she had cursed the world. Almost wanted her own efforts to be futile just so all the other villagers could suffer like herself. But the voice had sounded. She hadn't known from where, but it hadn't really matter. The melody had eased her pain, washed away her anger, for it had told her she had not been alone. The singer had recognized her. Even if it had just been one person in this world, they had understood Sayo. They had given meaning to her sacrifice.

And so she had passed peacefully. Cleansed of sin, her soul had become divine. That was how she had been reborn as a heroic spirit. Maybe it had also been the power of her will – the will to meet her "sun" again.

Sayo stopped playing, turned sharply around to try and find the owner of the voice. This time she found it. In the center of where her magic energy had been redirected, standing in her cat's place, was a woman of the same silver hair and golden eyes, clothed in the white haori she had used to cradle the cat to her home weeks earlier.

"It was you all along?"

The woman strode over, her foot carried a residual limp from the still healing injury. She lowered herself by Sayo's side and plucked the next note on the koto.

"It is rude to stop a performance so abruptly. Let us continue," she said.

Sayo nodded dumbly, carrying on. It was as though she returned back to the past. She was not an aged god, but just a human youth, desperate for others' love. And she had finally found it in this stranger. It gave her confidence. It reassured her that her sound was not inferior – that it was worthy of appreciation just as much as Hina's. Their song soared. Winter did not have to be a time of death, but rather a time of renewal. Without winter there would be no summer. Seasons cycled, bringing balance to the land. The song of winter filled what was missing in Hina's song of summer. Their melody was crisp and clean, Hina's feather-light and bright. They gave a fresh breeze to Hina's sweltering heat. It gave life to barren trees, filling their branches with buds that bloomed to thousands of sweet pink petals. The villagers looked up in awe. Hina's wide eyes stared the work before her. This was what she had been waiting for – her sister to rediscover her true self.

Their songs ended in a rain of cherry petals. Sayo stood in its midst, staring at the only one to understand her in half a millennium. There was so much she wanted to say, but no words came. It was okay though. The woman showed no hint of incomprehension. She stepped forward and acknowledged Sayo with a nod.

"An overdue self-introduction. The name is Minato Yukina," she said.

"Hikawa Sayo," Sayo bowed. "I will be in your care."


	20. Paparazzi

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Obviously this is for lols and not healthy representation of any kind. The POV character is meant to be smacked, which is why you get to smack her with newspaper.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, minor character OC, minor character as narrator, diva Yukina, guitarist Sayo, comedy

* * *

 **Paparazzi**

Minato Yukina is the biggest thing in the music industry right now. Everybody wants to write about her because everybody knows it's going to sell better than hotcakes. Who cares if the headlines are real or not? She's dating the son of a cabinet minister? An oil tycoon? A yakuza leader? All three at once? Doesn't matter. Fans would lap up any rumours of her tightly concealed love life.

How unprofessional. How unethical!

I am not like the others. I am a paparazzi of _substance_. Sure, I camp outside celebrity homes and spy on them with drones and shit, but it's only for the _truth_ that the public _deserves_ to know.

And what does the public deserve to know about Minato Yukina? *rolls eyes* Obviously the fact that she's _gay_!

Okay, before you rip me apart for my wish to out her, let me preface my argument by saying I'm gay too. Come on, that's why my gaydar is beeping like crazy while those gullible straights are still arguing over whether Minato's tastes are in macho wrestlers or pale-faced boys. Anyway, I know how it feels to be outed. Not cool. But here's the thing. She's a public figure. Young gays look up to people like her for representation. So, she has some responsibility that the rest of us don't, alright? And ultimately, I'm just doing this for her own good. How pleasant can it be to always be paired with stinky old geezers when your actual date is a drop-dead gorgeous and ripped femme guitarist whose fingers are long and rough and her jawline can just _kill_ … **PLEASE STEP ON ME, HIKAWA SAYO!**

Ahem. Excuse my outburst. I believe I may have just given away my story. That's right. Minato Yukina is definitely dating Hikawa Sayo. I am willing to bet you my morning donut that this is the case.

Evidence? The fact that they look so good together? I mean, silver and turquoise is just a match made in heaven. And the way they stare at each other on-stage. Who else can Minato be referring to when she sings "Dearest, you are my deeeeaaaaaaaareeeeeeeeeest!"?

*coughs* Excuse me again. I love that song.

So, you want more concrete proof? How was all that not concrete enough? Well, lean this way then. I'm gonna whisper, because this may just be exclusive scoop. You seen the kimono Minato wore on New Years? There was a stripe of turquoise on the collar. And Hikawa's likewise had a violet stripe on her obi – violet being Minato's representative colour.

"Kobayashi-san."

Yes? What is it, Boss?

"You got me to lean over just to tell me all this _conjecture_ about kimono colours?"

But it is not conjecture, Boss. This is solid! You can't expect people like Minato and Hikawa to up and announce their relationship!

"Oh yes, I can."

 _Bam._

I read the newspaper tossed in my direction. The headline reads "Minato Yukina Announces Vegas Marriage to Female Guitarist".

What!?

"She held a press conference last night. What were you doing? Shouldn't you have been following her as assigned?"

But…But I was breaking into her lawn and even got chased out by her dog _and_ her cat!

"She and Hikawa were touring in Hokkaido."

They were?

 _Smack._

Ow. Even though it's just newspaper, getting smacked with it sorta hurts. Uwuuu…

"Five other tabloids have this on their front page. The Asatsuki dug up how they met in high school through the former indie band, _Roselia_ , and chronicled every little event between the two since then till now. And that dog that chased you out? The name is Tama and the cat is Pochi."

Wait, shouldn't the cat be Tama and the dog be Pochi?

"You can question Minato and Hikawa's naming sense yourself. The Asatsuki had taped a conversation backstage where Minato literally said she liked Hikawa, on top of her usual praise for the latter's sound. They had a photograph of Minato helping carry Hikawa's books while blushing like a hormonal teenager. And photographs of them standing together at the beach, at a summer festival, heck, going into the same home? They are both registered owners of said home too! With this mountain of evidence, you chose to sell me kimono colours?"

But…But kimono colours are important. And, like, just look at how beautiful they were.

I pass the photograph I took a few months ago of Minato and Hikawa at hatsumoude, sporting those gorgeous kimonos while talking under the snow-covered branches about their common present reaching into high but clear future goals. Ah…their lily love is so pure and wonderful. My heart is swelling with such admiration that it makes me want to churn out eighty thousand words worth of fanfic in their dedication…

"Kobayashi-san."

Yes, Boss!

"How did you not notice that Minato and Hikawa were wearing their wedding rings in this photo?"

Wedding. Rings?

I snatch the photo over and right there, on both their ring fingers, were matching platinum rings, Minato's with a turquoise and Hikawa's with a lavender amethyst set in the center.

Ah.

"Ko-Ba-Ya-Shi-San!?"

I slam my head on the table. I am so sorry. I am so sorry for having betrayed my YukiSayo love by not spotting the matching rings. How can I live with my title as the #1 YukiSayo Fan in the Universe? Ugh…please kill me.

But before I die, I must first witness their wedding. Somebody videotaped it right? I don't care if it's the Asatsuki Press or the Tamanegi Press. I have to see this! YukiSayo in wedding dresses, saying their vows of eternity. Aaaaaaaaaaah…blood is dripping from my nose, but that must be from the sheer bliss of just imagining such unworldly perfection. I am sure if I were to behold such a beautiful scene with my very eyes I would ascend to the next plane of existence…


	21. Cupids Behind Keyboards

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_

I don't really have anything to say about this one. I tried to make it funny, but found that it really isn't. I don't know what I wrote...

Oh, I guess I should remind you that blocking somebody's door with a heavy object isn't a funny joke. It's dangerous in case of evacuation. But you already know that.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, post-canon, college, love confessions, first kiss

* * *

 **Cupids Behind Keyboards**

 _Yukinya: Sayo, I need help._

The message came just as Sayo returned to her room from the communal shower of their college dorm. She still had a towel under her wet hair to keep it from soaking her PJs, but that could wait. She first replied the message.

 _Hikawa Sayo: What is the matter, Minato-san?_

 _Yukinya: My computer isn't working._

Sayo respected Yukina. A lot. But like everybody else in Roselia, she knew Yukina was…well…pretty much useless in anything that wasn't music. It wasn't the first time when Yukina came texting one of them for help on fixing her computer. At least she had bothered to look at a clock this time and sought help before midnight.

 _Hikawa Sayo: Have you asked Udagawa-san or Shirokane-san for help yet?_

It might've sounded like Sayo was diverting responsibility towards the other two Roselia members, but it was true that Ako and Rinko were far better at computers than Sayo was. This was especially true of Ako who was now studying com sci, though still a freshman. They were usually the go-to people for Yukina's computer problems.

 _Yukinya: I texted Ako and she said that she's with Rinko and Lisa at a movie._

All three of them? At a movie? At this hour? Sayo quirked an eyebrow. This sounded suspicious. Lately, those three had been acting weirdly, always disappearing without a word to leave Sayo and Yukina alone. It wasn't that Sayo disliked spending time with Yukina. Quite the opposite, really. She was just wondering what was going on with the other three.

Anyway…

 _Hikawa Sayo: Alright, I will try my best to help you, Minato-san._

 _Hikawa Sayo: So what needs fixing?_

 _Yukinya: I don't know. It just stopped working._

As with any person who was terrible with computers, Yukina was awfully unspecific about what she was having problems with. Sayo tried to pretend that she was a tech support staff answering a really old lady's call.

 _Hikawa Sayo: Have you checked that everything is plugged in correctly?_

A minute passed before Yukina replied.

 _Yukinya: I just checked. The cables are connected properly, I think. Nothing is loose._

 _Hikawa Sayo: No strange smells coming from the computer?_

 _Yukinya: Strange smells?_

 _Hikawa Sayo: You never put rice in the CD drive, have you?_

 _Yukinya: Sayo…_

 _Yukinya: Who do you think I am?_

Okay, maybe Sayo was patronizing Yukina a bit too much here. Imagining Yukina's unamused face was somewhat funny though. Ahem. Hikawa Sayo wasn't that kind of character. Making fun of Yukina was Lisa's job. Sayo straightened herself, getting back down to business.

 _Hikawa Sayo: I just wanted to make absolutely certain that nothing is physically damaged._

 _Hikawa Sayo: Is the screen on?_

 _Yukinya: Yes._

 _Hikawa Sayo: What do you see on it?_

 _Yukinya: The usual._

Sayo might have sighed. She had to try harder.

 _Hikawa Sayo: Can you describe to me what you see?_

 _Yukinya: Umm…cats._

 _Hikawa Sayo: Cats?_

It took a good minute before Sayo figured out what Yukina was talking about. _Those_ cats. The ones on her wallpaper! She must be on her desktop.

 _Hikawa Sayo: What else is on the cats?_

 _Yukinya: The usual icons. And that bar on the bottom. It looks the same as always._

 _Hikawa Sayo: Is there anything changed about the functionality? Is the problem that you click on an icon and nothing happens?_

 _Yukinya: I can't click._

Okay, what did she exactly mean by that?

 _Hikawa Sayo: Is your mouse connected to your computer?_

 _Yukinya: Of course._

 _Hikawa Sayo: What happens when you physically click on the mouse?_

 _Yukinya: Nothing._

 _Hikawa Sayo: Can you at least move the cursor?_

 _Yukinya: Cursor?_

 _Hikawa Sayo: Yes. The little arrow your mouse usually controls._

 _Yukinya: Little arrow?_

 _Yukinya: I apologize. I do not think I understand._

 _Yukinya: …if possible, could you please just come over to take a look for me? Only if you aren't too busy, of course._

It really might be faster that way, seeing as Yukina's room was just down the hall. Sayo left a message saying she would stop by in a minute, then made her way over. Yukina's room was situated on a corner – around the corner was a door that led to a stairwell. As such, there were no more rooms to the left side of Yukina's, but somehow, there was a large cabinet dumped on the left of Yukina's door tonight.

Strange.

Sayo knocked on the door first anyway. Yukina answered quickly, gesturing for her to come in.

"Minato-san, is that your cabinet? It shouldn't be left out in the hall. Could be an obstruction in the case of evacuations."

"Cabinet?" Yukina looked confused.

"Is it not yours? The one left outside your door."

"There is one? I didn't see it before. Maybe someone left it there just moments ago?"

Probably someone who wanted to toss out the cabinet but couldn't carry it downstairs to the garbage disposal, so had to get extra help or something. Not really Sayo's concern at any rate.

"So, where is your computer?"

Sayo walked into the room and followed Yukina's directions to her computer. Like Yukina said, the screen was on, and the cursor was there, but when Sayo moved the mouse it remained still. Maybe the connection for the mouse was a little faulty? She tried disconnecting and connecting it. Didn't help. It was still unresponsive. So maybe a driver problem? Or the computer just froze?

As Sayo was thinking about the next steps to take, she heard a sound from outside. Something heavy was being dragged across the carpet. Yukina seemingly heard it too.

"They are taking out the cabinet perhaps?" Yukina suggested.

Being the good Samaritan that Sayo was, she couldn't help but be concerned by the noise. The girls on their floor weren't exactly strong. She really hoped they wouldn't injure themselves.

"If you do not mind, Minato-san, may I go outside to take a peek? Just in case they might need help?"

Yukina nodded. Sayo went to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't bulge. She tried again. The knob was turning, but…

"Whoever is out there, are you blocking the door with the cabinet?" Sayo shouted, banging the door. She was only answered by a pair of giggles, and a much softer voice muttering "…should we really be doing this?" It was Rinko.

"Shirokane-san? Is that you? Who is with you? Why are you blocking the door-"

Then it all dawned upon Sayo. Yukina's computer had been unresponsive, but nobody other than Sayo could come to help her. Rinko, who should've been with Ako and Lisa at a movie, was not at said movie but outside Yukina's door, helping block it with a cabinet. It couldn't be a coincidence. Ako must've hacked into Yukina's computer or otherwise did something to it to lure Sayo over. They had prepared the cabinet beforehand and had been camping around the corner, waiting for Sayo to enter Yukina's room before trapping her inside.

"Imai-san! I don't know what kind of prank you and Ako are trying to pull, but it isn't funny!" Sayo banged again on the door. "Shirokane-san too. Why are you going along with their silly jokes? This isn't like you!"

There was no response. Were they already gone? Sayo shouted their names a couple more times; when even those went unanswered, she fumingly dug out her phone and was going to call them back to take the stupid cabinet out but was stopped by a tug on her sleeve.

Sayo turned back to see Yukina's pulling on said sleeve, but Yukina wasn't looking back at her – her gaze was averted and her cheeks dusted mysteriously in pink.

"Minato-san?"

"I…think I figured why they are doing this. It is likely for my sake. I am sorry it has inconvenienced you. In a moment, I will call Lisa back to take out that cabinet."

How would locking Sayo with Yukina in a room help Yukina…? Oh. Yukina's awkward, blushing face gave it away. Yukina must've wanted some private time with Sayo, and however Lisa figured that out notwithstanding (probably pried the information directly from Yukina, seeing as Yukina figured out Lisa's motivation), she must've recruited Rinko and Ako to help give Yukina this opportunity. And there was probably only one reason why Yukina would look so embarrassed while trying to find her words now that they were alone…

"I like you," Yukina said, verifying Sayo's suspicions.

If Sayo hadn't understood Yukina so well, the confession would've seemingly come from nowhere. But Sayo did. The words were blunt and Yukina wasn't elaborating on them. It might be because she didn't know how to, or maybe she assumed Sayo already knew her feelings. After all, a confession was more akin a confirmation than a surprise revelation. If the one confessed to couldn't comprehend where those feelings came from, chances were the feelings would go unreciprocated anyway.

Sayo closed the distance, her heart thudding hard in her chest. She reached out with some hesitation but found Yukina's hands in the end and held onto them with a solid grip.

"I like you too, Mi…Yukina."

The way they shared goals for the future, the way they could walk hand in hand towards them, the way they understood and supported each other…those were what Sayo liked about Yukina, and what she knew Yukina liked about her in return. All of this needed not be said, for it was already in both their hearts.

"Umm…so the cabinet?" Yukina asked.

"It can wait till morning."

Sayo ended the conversation with a kiss.


	22. Soon to be Lovers

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ It has been a while since I've written something semi-serious, semi-in-character. At least I tried. I personally quite like this one. Hope you'd like it too.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, post-canon, college, internalized homophobia, cohabitation, sharing a bed, love confessions, first kiss

* * *

 **Soon to be Lovers**

More than friends, not quite lovers. That would be how Hikawa Sayo would describe her relationship with her band leader, now also college roommate, Minato Yukina. Sure, Yukina wasn't the most forward person when it came to her emotions (or perhaps that wasn't the most accurate description. She was blunt to the point of rudeness while expressing herself, though Sayo was convinced Yukina was so dense that she hardly understood her own feelings). But Sayo could tell Yukina treated her differently from others. The fact that Yukina had been the one to suggest co-renting an apartment after they got admitted to the same college was pretty indicative.

"Mi…Minato-san!? You are suggesting…that we be roommates?"

"Is that a problem?"

"That's not what I meant. It's just…what about Imai-san?"

"What about Lisa?"

"I would've thought that if Minato-san wanted to co-rent to save on living expenses, it'd be with Imai-san, especially seeing as we are all going to the same college…"

"Really? Living with Lisa? The thought never crossed my mind."

At first, Sayo couldn't quite figure why Yukina would want to co-rent an apartment with her, of all people. The reasons became a little clearer with time. From what she understood, Lisa was a morning bird rather than a night owl. Yukina was the opposite and would routinely be humming to herself and all that well past midnight. Luckily, Sayo was much the same, and they found the late hours especially productive for music composition. While Lisa's home was lit with bright colours and cute little trinkets wherever she could find space to put them, Yukina was a staunch minimalist. In fact, Yukina hated any kind of visual distraction. She once moved their stereo from its place beside the TV to the kitchen, just because the metal dials were reflecting sunlight when it streamed in through the west-facing windows during dusk. "It's annoying," she remarked. Sayo suggested instead of moving the stereo (because the kitchen just wasn't a convenient place to put it…anybody would agree) that they purchased some curtains instead. Lisa had gone with them to offer shopping advice that time, suggesting dark red curtains that didn't really match with Sayo's taste but were nonetheless acceptable. Yukina, though, was vehemently against it. "It gives me a headache," she said. Of course, Lisa went on to whine about how red was her representative colour and joked that Yukina's distaste was akin a personal insult, to which Yukina just ignored her and took the blue curtains to the cashier instead. Sayo had got to admit the blue curtains were more aesthetically pleasing though.

It had been established that Yukina had made the correct decision to room with Sayo in favour of Lisa; for the most part, their lifestyles were similar and they got along relatively well. This didn't, by default, make their relationship any closer than friends - it was from other things that Sayo got the impression.

Yukina was quite a private person. She didn't like talking about herself, didn't like it when others asked, and just wasn't very engaging in conversations at all. The time she could spend on talking, she'd rather be studying music. So, when she started asking about Sayo's day and all, Sayo got really confused.

"Minato-san, excuse me for asking this, but…what brings you to ask? Is there something you would like from me?"

Yukina blinked, her face still expressionless. "Nothing in particular. I suppose I was curious? Why?"

"It's just…Minato-san isn't usually interested in other people's lives."

"I am interested in yours."

"Eh?"

"I do not know exactly why I am interested. But last time you mentioned the insights you gained from your jam with Hina, they sounded intriguing. Tell me more."

Most of their topics revolved around music, but sometimes they would branch into other things. Sayo was surprised Yukina was interested in her philosophy of life. Do not aim, just shoot. The correct path will always lead to the correct destination. Yukina agreed with the idea and shared with Sayo its applications. Others might consider their conversations an echo chamber, but that wasn't it – while their general views were similar, they differed in the specifics. Their discussions could get heated, but simultaneously maintained a sort of calm objectivity Sayo especially enjoyed. Yukina might not be the smoothest talker, but she accepted, even encouraged, the same directness in return. She wasn't easily offended, so Sayo felt comfortable speaking her mind to Yukina, knowing their relationship wouldn't be harmed by petty disputes.

The comfort might've extended beyond just conversations. Sayo found the physical distance between them had diminished. Humans had personal spaces – Yukina was especially strict about maintaining hers. She did not like to be touched, not even by close friends. Every time Lisa tried to go for a hug Yukina would complain. The only exception might be during their lives, when Yukina would come close to Lisa and Sayo. It might be the heat of the moment, their bonds amplified by the sound of the music they shared. Or maybe it was for visual effect, to energize the crowds. But otherwise, Yukina maintained a distance from people. She didn't like to fall in-step, instead usually walking ahead of the pack or off onto the side. Lately, this distance had shrunk between them. When they walked to school, Yukina would stay side by side with Sayo, shoulders nearly touching. When they were at the cafeteria with Lisa and Rinko, Yukina would naturally take the spot beside Sayo. She even started offering Sayo shoulder massages after practice. "It is easy to strain yourself when you practice too hard," she said. As Yukina also practised guitar, to a lesser extent now that she focused on the vocals, Sayo also offered a massage in return one time, if not out of politeness for Yukina's gesture. She didn't expect Yukina to accept so easily. Sayo ended up spending the entire time blushing like an idiot.

"Sayo, would you please press harder? My shoulders are still stiff."

"Ah…ye-ye-yesss!"

 _Squeeze_

"Sayo, stop! You are pressing so hard it hurts!"

"I…I'm sorry!"

She really couldn't let this continue. It was getting to the point that every one of their interactions would make Sayo question its appropriateness. While Sayo was super self-conscious, Yukina seemed completely oblivious. It was driving Sayo crazy. Was this just Yukina's way of showing her trust, her friendship? Or did she share the…not-so-innocent feelings that had been rearing its head in Sayo's heart?

They were sleeping in the same bed. The apartment they had rented was a small one-bed unit, intended more for a couple than a pair of co-renting students. It had come furnished with a queen bed, so tossing that out in place of a bunk bed out of their thin budget would be a lavish waste. Neither was the option of sleeping on the floor in their futons in the dead of winter all too appealing. So, sharing the bed it was. When they started, they had kept strictly to their respective sides, leaving a huge gap in the middle. Now, Yukina had fallen asleep so close that Sayo could feel her breaths. Sayo tried to ignore it but couldn't. She felt her body heat up with a strong (and improper, she knew) urge to touch Yukina. She shouldn't do this. She really shouldn't. Maybe just a little. Just to pull up the covers that Yukina had haphazardly flung off her shoulders as she tossed around.

Sayo slid the covers higher around Yukina, her fingers brushed lightly against Yukina's hair. So smooth. So soft. She could smell the shampoo's scent. It was the same shampoo as her own! But Sayo couldn't stop thinking about drawing nearer to take a sniff of it since it smelled so delicious. No, she couldn't think this! Why was she turning into such a…such a pervert!

"Un…Sayo…"

Unawares of Sayo's struggles, Yukina snuggled closer. It was a cold night. She might be just cuddling to the warmth like curling up beside the kotatsu. There might be no other meaning to this. Sayo took a deep breath. No. Yukina literally mumbled her name, even if she were asleep as she did so. Sayo couldn't deny that there was _something_ between them – the question was _what_? And should Sayo find out? Should she ask Yukina directly? Dread crept up to clench its fingers around Sayo's innards; they felt knotted from the fear. What if Sayo was mistaking all this for something more than a _very close_ friendship, and Yukina found out and hated her for it? It took Sayo long enough to come to terms with herself that she _might_ have non-platonic feelings for…the same sex. And that was with the encouragement of Hina coming out to their parents a year ago, which led to a quiet conversation between their mom and Sayo, with Sayo's mother saying, "If you have something to share with us too, Sayo, it is okay. Father and I are both accepting of you no matter who you are and who you decide to be." Still, Sayo had yet to come out to anyone. Not intentionally anyway, except the loudmouthed Lisa who had rudely asked if Sayo liked girls on an off-hand once, which Sayo refused to answer. She was still scared. She was not an innocent, idealistic child anymore. She knew full well that while homosexuality was gaining acceptance in their society, there were still many who would consider it abnormal and immoral. She didn't want to be viewed as such, much less by Yukina, who was now her best friend and someone she respected greatly. Even if Yukina weren't homophobic, but she didn't share Sayo's feelings, wouldn't Sayo's confession make their relationship awkward? How would one feel if their most trusted friend had been lusting after them all this time?

Sayo forced herself to sleep. She still had classes the next morning.

* * *

Whether it be fortune or misfortune, Sayo would think back to this without an answer. That morning, the lecture both Sayo and Lisa usually attended got cancelled – they only found out when they saw the post-it on the theatre door. Lisa being Lisa, she obviously wouldn't leave Sayo alone.

"You don't have classes until noon, right Sayo?"

"Why do you remember my schedule?"

"Oh, I remember everybody's schedules. Both Rinko and Yukina are having classes, so that leaves the both of us to hang out?"

"I would prefer to study in the library instead."

"Don't be such a party pooper." Lisa wrapped an arm around Sayo – a horrible habit Lisa had around anybody she called by first name, which were many. "We haven't spent much time alone lately. It's time to catch up on girls talk!"

When Lisa got like this, there was no stopping her. Yukina had once told Sayo much the same. "It is more of a hassle to convince Lisa to leave you alone than to just indulge her." Sayo sighed. This was a truth everybody in Roselia had learned over the years. Considering Lisa did have the best intentions in mind, Sayo learned to entertain her too.

"Fine, only until eleven though. I must have lunch before my next lecture."

"We can have lunch together!"

"Imai-san, every single time we have lunch together you end up talking until the last minute and I have to run to my lecture. I was nearly late for a pop quiz last Wednesday because of this."

"Okay, okay. I promise to let you go at ten till noon. If not, you can tell me to shut up."

As though Imai Lisa ever shut up when somebody asked her to.

That was a problem to think about at 11:50am and not now though. Sayo wanted to sit down. Being a diligent student who brought her textbooks to lectures so she could refer to the notes she made in her pre-readings, her bag was heavy. They went to the nearest coffee shop to grab themselves some much needed caffeine, in Lisa's case also a strawberry croissant that she insisted on sharing.

"Your face looks sour, Sayo." Lisa started her routine mom-friend nagging. "Let's see, either you placed second on an exam or it's love problems."

"I did not place second!"

"Okay, so love problems."

Was Sayo being that transparent? Lisa liked to think of herself as the all-knowing empathetic goddess, but she wasn't that well-attuned to Sayo's thoughts usually. She might have more success with the friendly, popular types more like Lisa herself, alas Sayo was a nerdy lone-wolf.

"You know, it might be a bit intruding of me to ask you this, but have you…you know…come to terms with liking girls and all? I'm not asking to be an asshole, and I promise I won't out you or anything! I'm just worried. And like, I want to tell you that it's okay. Liking girls. It's the same as liking boys or liking a person or liking multiple people or not liking anybody at all-"

"Imai-san," Sayo cut Lisa off. Sayo knew Lisa was trying to be nice, and she did appreciate that. "Thank you for your concern. I am fine. I think I am comfortable enough with myself that…I'm not like before. I do not hate who I am, and I won't let anything change me but my own will."

"That's good." Lisa looked genuinely relieved. She pulled off a piece of the croissant, popped it in her mouth, and pushed the remainder even closer to Sayo's side of the table. "So, is it Yukina?"

"Eh?"

"You have a crush on Yukina, right?"

Sayo cursed her decision to actually try the croissant, because now she was nearly choking on it and was suspicious a small piece might've got blown into her nose with her violent cough. Lisa took out a water bottle from her handbag and slid it over to Sayo. "Easy now, drink some water first. The coffee is still too hot - it'd burn you."

Sayo struggled for a drink. " _*cough cough*_ Pl-Please don't say that kind of thing so suddenly when I'm trying to eat!"

"Is it really that shocking though? I think everybody in Roselia can tell you have a crush on Yukina, except maybe Yukina herself."

Sayo wanted to rebuke. She couldn't. She tried to look calm, but her face heated up so bad she was sure she was visibly red. The embarrassment made her redder. She knew any denial would just sound unconvincing.

"Please don't tell her," Sayo said weakly.

"I thought you would ask me the opposite, because aren't you struggling to confess?"

"I'm not like you, Imai-san! I…I am not that forward!"

"Why not?"

"Because!"

Lisa tilted her head to rest it on her palm. She was giving Sayo an awkward smile that Sayo found extremely patronizing, but hey, she admitted that she was a coward here so it was only right that she would be chided by Lisa like this.

"Look, sometimes you just have to go for it. If you don't do anything, nothing would change. You know how Yukina is. She is dense as…what is the densest element known to humans again?"

"Osmium."

"Right. Yukina is the personification of osmium. That's why she swims like a piece of osmium too."

"I don't think how Minato-san swims has anything to do with this."

"Oh, come on, Sayo. I was trying to lighten the atmosphere so you would have more courage to confess."

Why was it so _tiring_ to talk to Lisa? "You're not helping."

"Alright. I apologize. I'll try to be more serious here." Lisa was still grinning in a way that made her statement seem unpersuasive. "So, what is your problem exactly? Like you just aren't brave enough to say it directly? Maybe you can try to give her a love letter instead?"

Of course, Lisa would have to offer advice when Sayo didn't ask for any. But once Lisa grasped onto a topic, she wouldn't let go until she was done her rant. Might as well just go along with it. Sayo didn't want to admit this, but she had been rather stressed out about her feelings for some time, with no place to vent.

"You keep talking about my feelings, but what about Minato-san's? What if Minato-san doesn't…doesn't _like_ me in return?"

"Oh, she likes you just fine. Don't worry."

"What?"

"I said, she likes you just fine. I'm pretty sure she's in love with you too, but she just doesn't know it, and even if she does know then she'd have the same problem as you. She _says_ she's good at speaking her mind, but she's really shy and tender and dishonest with herself. Come on, you know this too. If it weren't for the looks, I'd be convinced Yukina is your twin and not Hina."

Sayo sighed again. Lisa made everything sound so obvious. It wasn't. Her understanding of Yukina was mediocre at best, even if she pretended to know Yukina well by virtue that they were childhood friends. Sayo didn't know if she could really believe Lisa. She probably shouldn't. Unless if this were about the kind of cookies Yukina preferred most.

"Okay, I admit I may not know exactly what Yukina is thinking." Lisa continued when met with Sayo's doubting stare. "But here is one thing I am certain, and if you give it some thought you'd know I'm right. Yukina is definitely not the kind of person to hate you because you are gay. She also wouldn't hate you because you _loved_ her. Even if it doesn't work out, she wouldn't view you as anything less. Sure, it might be a little awkward at first if she does reject you, but it will work out fine. The rest of us have got your back. You have nothing to be afraid of."

Sayo thought about it. What Lisa said was reasonable, but fear wasn't something that adhered to logic. "I think I might need some time still. I…I don't know. I don't feel prepared."

"You just got to do it. Like today." When Sayo glared at her, Lisa chuckled. "Well…I mean, who am I to give you deadlines? But, I don't know, I feel like today is a good day. Your horoscope says your luck in the love department is overflowing; you just need to find some confidence."

"I do not believe in horoscopes!"

"But it's romantic…"

Sayo sighed extra hard. She never asked Lisa's unsolicited opinion. Well, Lisa had always been like this. It wasn't as though this was the first day they had met.

* * *

Subconsciously, though, Lisa's deadline would follow Sayo for the rest of the day. On days like this when Roselia didn't have practice, Sayo would go straight home after classes to prepare dinner, then spend the remainder of the evening on assignments and pre-readings and individual practice on her guitar or helping Yukina with the compositions. Today, she dreaded going home to where she knew she would encounter Yukina. Instead, she took up an offer from her classmates to hang out – something she had rarely ever done before. She shot a text to Yukina telling her she wouldn't be home for dinner, then headed out with her classmates.

Karaoke and alcohol weren't Sayo's favourite things. Sayo didn't especially like singing. She was embarrassed by how shrill her voice was and would only sing as a necessity for the Roselia compositions that required her vocal accompaniment. She especially didn't want to sing the PasuPare songs her classmates kept picking for her. "You look like the guitarist!" "Wait…Hikawa Hina…Hikawa Sayo…are you related?" "Hikawa Hina-san keeps saying she has a twin sister." "Eeeeeeeeh!? Is Hikawa-san Hina-san's sister!?" Of course, Sayo wasn't bitter about Hina like she had been as a teen, but she wasn't in the mood to divulge her life story to these bare acquaintances either. She wished they would just leave her alone, but for whatever reason, they all seemed interested in chatting her up. Maybe it was because she was a new face and they wanted to be welcoming. But some of them got a little touchy feely with a few drinks down the stomach. "Hikawa-san, are you dating anyone?" one of them asked – what kind of question was that!? She could just answer with a "I…ugh…am not really interested."

By the end of the night, Sayo was exhausted. The clock on the train station display gave an hour so late even Yukina would probably be asleep. Well, Sayo found her excuse for not meeting Lisa's deadline. Lisa was the one who always complained about Sayo's lack of social life and nagged her to get to know her classmates. Sayo was just doing as she suggested. Any fault lay with the nosy bassist. Were all bassists that intrusive? Probably not. Maybe she would get along better with Shirasagi-san instead – at least she wouldn't have to deal with the overly personal questions and unwanted skinship.

When Sayo got home, she didn't bother with a greeting, thinking Yukina must be in bed already. The house was dark but quiet sounds could be heard. It came from the TV, still on and providing the only illumination in the living room. Yukina was lying on the couch facing it, but she did not respond to Sayo's steps towards her. She was asleep.

Yukina didn't even bring along a blanket. She was in her night gown, wearing only a flimsy haori over it. She would catch a cold if she didn't go back to bed soon. Sayo shook her shoulders. "Minato-san, you can't sleep here. Let's go back to our room, okay?"

"Unn…"

Yukina slowly opened her eyes and blinked a couple times to regain her bearing. "Sayo? You finally came home?"

The words made Sayo feel guilty. "Have you been waiting for me?"

"I was a little worried, since you usually wouldn't stay out so late. I tried calling but your phone was off."

Sayo took out her cell to find that the battery had died. She had forgotten to charge it the night before.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize the battery had died."

Yukina nodded, but something about her expression gave Sayo the impression that she was still upset. It was of course the same stoic face, just that over time Sayo had learned to read the subtle clues, a slight furrow of brows or a more avoidant gaze. The empathy between them made Sayo's heart clench. She stepped forward and took Yukina into her arms.

"Sayo?" Yukina said her name with a surprised tone but did not struggle against her grip. If anything, she leaned into Sayo's embrace.

"Thank you."

"For…?"

"For worrying about me. For staying by my side…."

Sayo's voice trailed off. She knew the next words she wanted to say, but she needed the courage to say it. She took a breath. Let it seep into her chest and calm her pounding heart.

"Mi…Yukina, I like you. Would you please…always stay by my side?"

Yukina put a bit of distance between them so they could look at each other's faces. Sayo was holding her breath. She was scared Yukina would keep moving back, but she remained there, a breath away. Her expression was a bit of a mystery even to Sayo's trained eyes. She looked surprised, for sure, but she also looked a bit…timid?

"…What do you mean by…wanting me to stay?"

Sayo paused. She breathed again. Several times. She had to get the words out, not because of Lisa's deadline or anything. Now was the time. She knew it. She couldn't run away forever, after all. She loved Yukina. The feelings wouldn't go away from her ignoring them. She had to tell Yukina even if it was difficult, her palms sweating from nervousness.

"I mean this in a romantic way. Would you be my girlfriend?"

There was a moment of silence during which neither moved. Finally, Yukina spoke, but her voice was softer and more unsure than usual.

"I don't really know anything about romance…" She paused. Sayo swore her heart might have stopped beating for that split second until Yukina broke into a smile. "But if it is with you, I am willing to learn. Would that be okay?"

The weight in Sayo's chest disappeared. She really didn't know what to do if Yukina had outright rejected her. Maybe she would've cried. It wasn't that Sayo was so naïve to think Yukina's acceptance was the endgame. She was glad to at least have a chance. She wanted to try walking forward with Yukina, to learn more about her and share her own thoughts and feelings in return. They would make memories together, and maybe, just maybe, one day they would become something even more.

Sayo took Yukina's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Let's take it slowly then, at a pace that is comfortable for both of us?"

Yukina nodded. They were close together. It felt right. Yukina tilted her head and closed her eyes. Sayo pressed her lips against hers.

The contact was short. It was more gentle and sweet than passionate, but this was what both of them wanted at the moment and it felt nice the way it was. They separated and shared a light chuckle. "So, shall we go to bed now? It is awfully late and we both have classes tomorrow," Sayo said, pulling Yukina up from the couch to standing.

"And whose fault is it that we are still awake?"

"Sorry," Sayo answered sheepishly.

They went to bed with hands still held. Sayo turned her head to the side to see that Yukina was also doing the same, staring back at her.

"Good night, Yukina."

"Good night."


	23. Mosquito Bite

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ It's silly. It's probably OOC. There is a mosquito in my house and I bet it's gonna bite me by the end of the day.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, silly comedy, kabedon, first kiss

* * *

 **Mosquito Bite**

Sayo got a mosquito bite. She didn't know when it happened. Probably in her sleep. She woke up that morning to an itch and, craning her head while her back faced the mirror, she beheld a beautifully swollen welt right between her shoulder blades in the reflection.

This sucked. Roselia had a stage performance that night. She couldn't let the mosquito bite distract her.

So, she put on some medicated cream she found in her family's drug drawer that purportedly stopped itches. The expiry date was three years ago, but it should probably work, right? Right? Sayo didn't have the time to care. She needed to rush to rehearsal. Minato-san wouldn't be happy if she were late.

Sayo quickly put on some clothes, fixed up her appearance so she wouldn't present as slovenly, grabbed her guitar and pedals and rushed out the door. She made it to the live house decently early. Minato-san was the only one who had arrived earlier. Minato-san seemed pleased to see Sayo and quickly caught her up with the progress made on the preparations for the night. Sayo likewise gave enthusiastic suggestions. This would be perfect. They were both confident.

Soon after, the others arrived. Shirokane-san brought their stage costumes – she had taken them home to make some last-minute changes. They put on the costumes, made sure the fit was good and nothing was bothering them. Last time, the ribbons on Minato-san's sleeve came undone during the live and while it led to an interesting little MC blurb that the audience enjoyed (Sayo also ended up fixing said ribbons for Minato-san and she would never admit to how hard her heart had pounded when Minato-san smiled and thanked her on stage), they decided that it was not an experience worth repeating. If it had been the ribbons on their boots that had come undone, that could be bad. They all knew how clumsy Minato-san was – she'd probably trip on them and fall off the stage.

The costumes fit perfectly. The first version had been a bit too…revealing for Sayo's liking – the backside of the dress only reached mid-back, leaving a considerable amount of skin bare. Sayo insisted that Shirokane-san line the top of the dress with black lace to prevent such exposure. Plus Sayo's long hair that covered up everything else, the dress had become…marginally acceptable.

Everybody was fine with their costumes, Udagawa-san more-than-fine as she launched a really long rant about how Shirokane-san was the Vivienne Westwood of Hanasakigawa. Well, she didn't namedrop Vivienne Westwood per se, but some in-game clothing shop NPC from _Neo Fantasy Online_. Nobody knew what she was talking about until Shirokane-san translated her words.

Anyway, they finally got to rehearsing (after turning down Imai-san's cookies. Cookies could come later during break. They couldn't keep going off on tangents before even starting). They set up their instruments, did sound checks, made sure everything would remain functional even under stage lighting. It was all routine stuff, but they never slacked off on performing them. Roselia might have become more close-knit than when they started, but they wouldn't let that interfere with their professionalism.

Then they ran through their setlist. Minato-san nitpicked as usual. They had a break before running through the setlist again to fix those minor issues. Even Minato-san came out of it pleased. They were ready. It was just a matter of waiting for the audience to file in and the show would begin.

The night started off on a blast. _Black Shout_ and _Louder_ were riots as always, then they shifted to _Kiseki_ for a change of mood, followed by _Sanctuary_ that would pick up some pace for the _Neo Aspect_ finale. _Sanctuary_ was not too much of a challenge for Sayo usually. It was tough on Udagawa-san and Minato-san, but the guitar parts were relatively simple. Not that Sayo would be complacent, but it was a welcome break before the _Neo Aspect_ riffs. That was what it was supposed to be until Sayo felt something in her back.

It had built up all afternoon and into the night. The lace that scraped at her mosquito bite was starting to win against the waning anti-itch cream. Sayo almost longed for _Neo Aspect_ to happen, let her go crazy on the guitar so that her movements would scratch the welt, but no…the smooth, slow notes of _Sanctuary_ made the lace rub against her back in an almost sensual manner. It was itching like crazy!

What to do? Could she reach a hand back to scratch the welt? She wasn't confident she'd have enough time to do that without missing a note, and even if she could do it, the audience would notice. Was there a wall or a table corner for her to inconspicuously rub her back against? Shirokane-san's keyboard? No, no, no! That would look like sexual harassment! Who had a free hand to help her out? There were lots of hands in the audience below. They were waving glowsticks in the air as though to chide Sayo's predicament! Who else? Everybody in the band was playing their instruments…

Minato-san.

Sayo would've screamed for Minato-san to help her if she could, but she was on-stage, so that wouldn't work. _Please look this way!_ Sayo was shouting in her mind. Luckily Minato-san did look her way upon the chorus. She waved and smiled as she sang. "Dearest, you are my dearest."

Sayo would've been so lovesick she might've drooled when Minato-san went off the original plan to literally call Sayo her dearest, but at this very moment all Sayo could think of was the mosquito bite and she met Minato-san's eyes with such desperation she might've been crying a little. At least Minato-san caught on, walked over, and wrapped an arm around Sayo's back to bring them close enough that she could at least try and discern what was wrong. Sayo mouthed "mosquito bite" but Minato-san just looked at her in confusion. Sayo couldn't exactly say it aloud. Minato-san wouldn't hear her unless she was loud enough to get picked up by the mic, which would be bad in its own way. All Sayo could do was press her back against Minato-san's palm and slide down until the welt aligned with Minato-san's fingers.

Instant relief.

But nobody other than Sayo knew the purpose of her movements. It just looked provocative, and that sent the audience in an uproar. Udagawa-san might've missed a beat while watching them. Shirokane-san's jaws dropped. Imai-san gave a whistle – rude! This wasn't how you should carry yourself in a public performance, not that Sayo was one to speak as the cause of this incident. To Minato-san's credit, she kept singing through it all, whether anybody was listening to her anymore. But she was frozen to her spot and looked very red in the face. At the end of the chorus, she walked back to center stage and then stayed there like a statue for the rest of the show.

It finally ended. The audience loved it at any rate. And Imai-san and Udagawa-san who were giving sloppy grins to Minato-san and Sayo, until Minato-san glared so hard at them that they returned to some semblance of seriousness anyway.

"Good work. Some issues to fix but it is getting late so I will go through them during tomorrow's practice. You are dismissed," Minato-san said. Shirokane-san grabbed Udagawa-san before the latter could say something stupid and the two vanished into the change rooms. Imai-san was probably about to follow through with the unsaid stupid remarks, but Minato-san kept glaring and glaring and that shut her up…sort of.

"I can take a hint. I'll leave you two to your… _performance review_ ," Imai-san said, and _winked_!

They were finally alone. Sayo didn't know what to do. Should she apologize? Should she explain? Or should she pretend nothing happened-

"Come with me."

Minato-san grabbed Sayo's hand, towed her to a single-occupancy washroom, and locked the door behind both of them.

"Err…Minato-san…?"

What met Sayo were not harsh words or even a punch but a kabedon. Well, Minato-san tried. She was too short and too weak though, so Sayo sort of went along with Minato-san's half push and backed herself into the wall. Minato-san then grabbed a fistful of Sayo's dress and yanked down while going on her tip-toes to bring their faces to level. Of course, Sayo had to bend down to accommodate such desire. Whether Minato-san noticed, Sayo had no idea – didn't stop her from forcefully capturing Sayo's lips with her own.

Minato-san was kissing her.

Minato-san was kissing her!?

Sayo never had the chance to close her eyes. They remained wide even as Minato-san finally let her go.

"You can't think you could provoke me like that without consequences, right Sayo?" Minato-san said with a sly smile on her lips. It was _gorgeous_.

Sayo gulped.

"Right."

Damn. She could not wait to face those _consequences_.


	24. Combing a Cat

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I've been so busy lately that I can only post fics I've pre-written previously. Hopefully I'll have some free time for myself starting tomorrow, then I can start writing the two slow-burn fics I have in mind. After writing so many one-shots, I think a multi-chapter is due.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, implied sexual relationship, brief mention of romantic TsuguLisa

* * *

 **Combing a Cat**

Since living with Yukina, Sayo found that Yukina's strive for perfection was reserved for music and hardly reached into any other aspect of her daily life.

It wasn't that Yukina was particularly lazy. She sometimes used the excuse. She wasn't "the best" at something because she wanted to "concentrate on music instead". Sayo quickly learned that Yukina was simply _bad_ at most things. In high school, Imai-san had said Yukina was bad at studying. Sayo hadn't believed her then, but it was most likely true. If they bought a dozen chicken wings for three meals Yukina would think they had six per meal. She had no skills in math whatsoever. She would also constantly misplace things and go scrambling for them because her memory only worked for the melodies of rock songs. Her life would be a mess without people looking after her.

This was not sustainable, so Sayo started training Yukina to perform at least the most basic of tasks. She could now use the rice cooker, microwave, and oven, so she could at least avoid starvation when Sayo wasn't home to cook. She now washed the dishes and set the table, which was some help at least after she got over the phase of breaking every ceramic that ever came in contact with her fingers. And after destroying three Roombas, she had gotten the hang of using them. Their current one had lasted three months thus far, touch wood. Sayo had even managed to get Yukina to put her shoes in the cupboard when she removed them and sort out her own laundry. Pretty amazing stuff.

But there was one thing Yukina was still terrible at – drying her own hair. To be fair, Yukina's hair was long. It reached down to her waist. But her hair was straight and soft unlike Sayo's unruly masses. It should be a walk in the park to take care of. Nope. Not for the genius songstress. For one, Yukina wasn't all that flexible. There was a spot on the back of her head that she couldn't really reach with the blow drier. And did she care? Of course not. She'd just go to sleep like that and get her pillow all wet. One day, she'd get a fungal infection of the scalp or something. She would also miss the very top of her head and the ends. The ends were especially bothersome, because Yukina liked to cuddle up to Sayo in her sleep and the wet locks would get all over Sayo's PJs, which sucked. She tried teaching Yukina how to dry her hair properly. Yukina ended up whirling her own hair into the intake fan of the blow drier and nearly setting it on fire. Sayo decided that she couldn't take the risk of it happening again, so she accepted responsibility over drying Yukina's hair every night.

Well, if Sayo were being honest, she actually enjoyed having this moment between them on a regular basis. Yukina was really quite like a cat. She would come to you if she wanted to be touched, but otherwise, she wasn't huge on physical intimacy. Sayo heard stories from Hazawa-san about how Imai-san loved hugs and they spent most of their time together cuddling and holding hands. That would be unimaginable for Yukina. So, it was nice to have an excuse to play with Yukina's hair. Sayo ran through it with a comb first, making sure she got all the knots without tugging too hard and hurting Yukina in the process. When they first started this arrangement, Yukina would tense up when Sayo combed her hair, but now she seemed to have more trust in Sayo's skills, relaxing her head and letting Sayo tip it to her convenience.

Sayo then turned on the blow drier and started working it down Yukina's hair while she ran her fingers through with her free hand. Sayo loved the texture. So silky and…maybe it was a little too slippery tonight. Sayo took her fingers out of Yukina's hair to inspect them, causing Yukina to turn around and look at her questioningly.

"Yukina, you have to wash out the shampoo more thoroughly, okay?" Sayo said.

"But I already washed it."

"For how long?"

"I don't know…ten seconds?"

Sayo sighed. "Please wash it for longer."

"Twenty seconds then."

"No. You should wash it for far longer than it took you to put on the shampoo. And please don't just stand under the shower when you say you are washing it. You have to run your fingers through the hair to make sure all the shampoo has been rinsed off."

"…Okay," Yukina answered sheepishly, turning back around so that Sayo once again had access to her hair. Sayo wondered if it was worth drying the rest of the hair or should she just drag Yukina back to the bathroom to get the shampoo off. It wasn't _too_ bad, she supposed. This would be so unhealthy for her hair in the long run, but Sayo doubted Yukina would go bald overnight.

"You know…"

"Hmm?" Sayo answered, not exactly catching what Yukina had been saying. Yukina dipped her head lower to stare at her own nails.

"…you should've just come with me into the shower."

"Eh?"

Yukina refused to say more. Sayo couldn't see her expression, but…

"Yukina, your ears are turning red."

"That must be because you are pointing the blow drier at them."

Because Sayo had been preoccupied with speaking, she had the blow drier pointed up to the ceiling.

Yukina was a terrible liar, but what was the point of calling her out for it? Sayo shut off the blow drier, causing Yukina to turn towards her again – only enough to glance at Sayo anyway. She was still trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

Sayo unplugged the blow drier and put it down. She reached a hand out to Yukina.

"Shall we?"

"Shall we what?"

"You wanted me to come with you into the shower."

"That's…that's not what…It's only to rinse off the shampoo!"

Yukina prided herself on never being afraid to speak her mind, so to have her turn into a stuttering mess was quite a feat.

But it was cute. So damn cute.

"That is what we will be doing. To get that shampoo rinsed off. Unless you want to do something more?"

Yukina slapped away Sayo's hand and stamped off into the bathroom. She did leave the door unlocked though.

Sayo couldn't help a snicker before she stepped in.


	25. Stardust

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I swear there are no legitimate physics and astronomy in this fic. The space setting is just for the aesthetics. I have no idea how plasma cannons would work in real life...

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, Space AU

* * *

 **Stardust**

"Cut the communications line."

"Eh?"

"I said, Lisa, cut the communications line."

Starship Roselia had just received a threat from a pirate ship three times their size, armoured with cutting-edge heat and impact resistant plates, and a plasma cannon that could turn them to stardust in an instant. They would enter said cannon's range in a minute. And their captain's decision? Ignore the enemy.

"You know they're gonna attack us. For real," Lisa couldn't help saying that, just in case Yukina had been idealistic enough to think space pirates would take pity on them. Obviously, even Yukina wasn't that gullible.

"So?"

"My gosh, Yukina. What I'm saying is we're gonna die! We should just give them money…"

"No."

Fucking stingy childhood friend she got there. Throw in their fire control officer, Hikawa Sayo, too. Those two would rather brave it against space pirates with the piece of junk they were flying just to keep some Galactic Alliance credits to upgrade their goddamn observatory. Sure, Roselia's goal was to aim for the greatest heights as modern astronomers, exploring uncharted space on the outermost reaches of the Alliance's control (which was what got them in this piracy mess in the first place), but what was the use of fancy telescopes when you were dead?

"Imai-san, if we give them money, they would still blast us to oblivion. I do not have more time to explain, but if you or anybody else are afraid, then take the safety shuttle and leave. Minato-san and I will shield your escape."

"That is not what I meant!" Lisa yelled at Sayo, but it went unanswered when Ako and Rinko made their reports.

"I am staying!" Ako called between fervent typing in an effort to hack the enemy ship's systems.

"…Me too. I am still working on the warp. Should be ready in five."

"Excellent. We will be moving behind that asteroid."

Did Lisa hear Yukina right? "You what!?"

She was answered by Yukina switching off auto-pilot to manually move them into the shadow of a huge-ass rock. They were flying a spaceship here. Not a bicycle. This thing moved at a third the speed of light without counting the warp drive. And their ship came so close to said rock Lisa could literally see it in their window, illuminated by the light that radiated off their engine. The actual _fuck_ , Yukina!?

Something then splintered from the other side of the asteroid. Yukina zipped them through the debris. She was regarded as the best pilot in the galaxy, but this was practically suicide!

"Damage report?" Yukina called.

Lisa was the only one with empty hands. She brought up the ship's sensors. "None detected" – a miracle. "That was the enemy's plasma cannon blasting a hole through the asteroid, huh?"

"Blasting a hole into the asteroid, you mean, Imai-san. We would have perished if it had gone all the way through."

Lisa rolled her eyes, "Right, Smart-ass."

"We will be coming out the asteroid's shadow in a minute. Sayo, are you ready?" Yukina's calm voice spoke above Lisa.

"You aren't trying to shoot down that pirate ship with our ancient laser cannons, right? They're hardly better than hand pistols…"

"I am ready to disable a pirate ship with 'hand pistols', yes."

This was insane. Why did Lisa sign up for this?

They came out the asteroid. Yukina made an evasive manoeuvre that, owing to her crazy skills and the small size of their ship, managed to narrowly avoid the blinding plasma that shot above them. Yukina kept flying their ship directly towards the enemy to bring Sayo's hand pistols – err…laser cannons – within range. Lisa was sure the enemy was charging up their plasma and this time it wouldn't miss.

Sayo pressed down on her controls. Darts of light shot into the space ahead. Lisa tracked them on the sensors.

"You aimed for the literal opening of their plasma cannon!?"

"Did I hit or miss?"

Lisa looked at the image reconstruction from their sensors. The target was a couple meters in diameter. It was puny compared to the size of a spaceship, and hitting anywhere else would be futile with the enemy's armour plates, but…

"Hit, hit, hit, hit. Thermal radiation detected. Explosions from enemy ship. Plasma likely damaged."

"It is no longer shooting at us and that is the important thing," Yukina noted casually, evading the enemy's secondary lasers with ease. How she did it? Lisa had no idea. Laser beams travelled at the speed of light. Human reaction wasn't that fast. Yukina had to move their ship out of the way before the shot. How in the galaxy did she do that?

"Bam! Got it!" Ako shouted, her hands flying up. A window popped up on all their screens – a copy of the enemy's bridge controls. Ako had disabled even their secondary armament.

"…I have also programmed the warp. Ready when you are, Yukina-san."

"Eh, RinRin? But I want a last word with those big bad…umm, what does the President of the United Planets call them? You know, that old man who looks sort of orange?"

"Ombres, Ako-chan."

"Ombres! Yes! I want to have a last word with the bad ombres! May I, Yukina-san?"

"Make it quick," Yukina said, stretching her back and neck. "The remainder of you, prepare for warp."

"Yes, Minato-san."

"Alright, Yukina."

Lisa made sure she was strapped tightly to her seat. She ran a system check. Everything was stable. Rinko had already programmed in the coordinates. They were flying back home with a crate of blue ice melons from Plutonia – at least Lisa was sure her girlfriend would enjoy making some novelty cakes out of the exotic fruit.

"Bad Ombres from Deep Space, I am your lady, Udagawawesome Akoh-my-god-amazing," Ako spoke into the mic that would undoubtedly broadcast her speech over the enemy ship's audio, "Your systems are now under my full control and I can fly you into that…that…hell-fire blazed rock of…of…"

"Too long, Ako."

Yukina cut the line off and authorized the warp. The lights dimmed. The space around them whirled and disappeared. They were now alone in a world where none would find them, safe from their enemy's pursuit. Some people would take a nap now. Ako probably would, after she stops whining about her cut-off speech anyway. Rinko was still consoling her. But Lisa liked to keep her eyes open, not because she was secretly scared of warps the way Sayo was, nor was she just over-vigilant like Yukina. She just liked to reflect on what their last space had offered them – the goods, the bads, the novel adventures and the near-misses like what they just had with the pirate ship. Lisa was glad they managed to pull through each time. She didn't know how long she could continue with Starship Roselia. She wasn't a fanatic astronomer like the rest of the crew, but for now she was contented to see the galaxy with them.

* * *

The warp took them back to their star system. It would still be a few hours before arrival at their home planet. Rinko and Ako offered to take the navigation shift while the others took a break – Yukina and Sayo especially needed one as they had worked far more hours during this trip than everybody else. Lisa went to their small kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone. Yukina insisted on helping. "Your help is worse with than without, okay?" Lisa chided, passing her the first two set of sandwiches she had prepared along with two coffees, one of which was heavily sweetened and half filled with milk. "Here, for you and Sayo."

"Oh."

Yukina looked dumbly at the extra meal Lisa set in her hands. Lisa sighed. She felt like a mom around Yukina and Sayo. Seriously, those two. They were so capable in certain things and helpless in others.

"Yukina, you can't always have your girlfriend cater to your every need and not do the same in return. Even Sayo would want somebody to do nice things for her occasionally. Understand?"

Yukina nodded and finally pattered down the hall towards the observatory. Being the busybody Lisa was, she couldn't help but peek into the observatory later to make sure the two were doing okay. They were always so awkward. When Lisa first heard from Yukina that Sayo had confessed to her and the two had started dating, Lisa was not only surprised, she got a headache. How the hell would those two form a relationship when they seemed like they could hardly ever express themselves to anyone without provoking a fight? Yukina was especially bad with understanding people, but somehow…somehow she seemed to understand Sayo, and be understood by Sayo in return.

Watching them now made Lisa feel relieved. Yukina and Sayo were seated by the window, gazing at the stars. Sayo was pointing excitedly at something in the distance lighted by faraway nebula, Yukina smiling in response, bright and beautiful. It was like how Yukina had been back when she was a child, before the incident with her father and all that. With Sayo, Yukina had once again found her love for space that was independent of the singular desire to chase after her disgraced father, a genuine love untainted by others' recognition. Lisa had wanted to see this Yukina badly when "she" disappeared in their teenage years. She was glad Sayo had brought "her" back.

Lisa left the two behind to return to the bridge. _Having someone who shared your life goal to walk with you, hand in hand, towards it. How wonderful was that?_ – Lisa thought.


	26. Dismantling a Fanclub

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ This fic is silly. That's the point. Not really recommended for YukiLisa shippers since it does poke fun at the fictional YukiLisa Fanclub. It's not supposed to mirror real life shippers, but here is a warning just in case somebody takes it personally.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, post-canon, college, OOC humour, surprise kissing, mention of sex

* * *

 **How to Dismantle a Fanclub**

Sayo was annoyed.

She should be glad for Roselia's popularity even on their university campus. Random students would come up to them looking for signatures. Yukina was especially popular as their band's poster child. Lisa as well, whether it be attributed to her skills on-stage or just her friendly demeanor at school. They even had a fanclub. Nope, it wasn't the Minato Yukina and Imai Lisa Fanclub. It was the YukiLisa Fanclub. That's right. A fanclub celebrating a romance between the two, which was entirely imaginary. Sayo would know, because _she_ was Yukina's girlfriend, not Lisa!

"Hey, it has nothing to do with music. I thought you didn't _care_ for fan opinion beyond the music part?" Lisa said with a grin that Sayo didn't know was intentional or not. Either way, it was irritating to look at.

"I did not say I care."

"So stop looking so grumpy! You need to smile more, Sayo. You'll scare the fans away."

Lisa draped an arm onto Sayo who responded with a glare.

"It is because you keep doing these…" Sayo lifted Lisa's arm like something she fished out from a garbage can. "…inappropriate gestures that others would misconstrue a relationship between Yukina and yourself!"

"So?" Lisa was giggling. Okay, so she was clearly doing this on purpose. "You don't care either way, right? Or are you actually jealous?"

"I am saying this is hardly an acceptable way of carrying yourself!"

"You know you can just show some affection to Yukina in public and maybe the fans would catch on that you two are the ones actually dating…"

"Are you even listening to me, Imai-san?"

Lisa shrugged. "Ah, class is about to start. I should get going. Yukina would be waiting, haha. Ciao~"

Since when did Lisa become Italian!? Sayo was left fuming. Unfortunately, Sayo was a science major, which would take her to the other side of campus from Yukina and Lisa's arts building. And she just knew that while she was away, the YukiLisa Fanclub would be squealing after her girlfriend – and Imai Lisa of all people! – all while circulating more scandalous rumours to…to…defame her girlfriend's honour. She had to do something about this. She had to dismantle this disgraceful fanclub that had no business of existing within a purely academic institution.

She ended up consulting Rinko, who had continued working in student society even after graduating high school. "I…do not think the…umm…fanclub…has violated any student code of conduct. If Yukina-san is…upset that the club is…defaming her, she may file a complaint and I can…help follow up on that."

But Yukina was either completely ignorant of the nature of the club (or even its existence for that matter) or she could care less. It would seem like Sayo was the petty one if she were to go out of her way to convince Yukina to file a complaint over such a "trivial" matter. As though understanding Sayo's thoughts, Rinko offered. "Umm…Ako-chan is in her senior year at Haneoka, right? She is part of the newspaper club that…works with the local free distribution…and sometimes publishes articles on indie bands around the area…like Roselia. Maybe…she can run an article on Yukina-san and yourself to…clear things up with Imai-san?"

The thought made Sayo's face heat up. An article about Yukina and herself. What kind of article would that be? Knowing Ako, she would probably ask Sayo to pose provocatively with Yukina, take a photo of it, and write in a bold headline something like, "Roselia's Vocalist and Guitarist Mad in Love, Making Out on the Street!" Sayo didn't know what was worse, the existence of a YukiLisa Fanclub or a headline like that. How would Sayo live with the world thinking she was so horny she couldn't keep her hands off her girlfriend for a second!? She could just imagine Hina innocently calling it "super rururun~" and that alone would make her die from embarrassment.

"Thank you for your help, Shirokane-san. I think I can handle it myself."

And so Sayo left with empty hands. What else could she do? Put on a mask, bring along a baseball bat, and just beat the crap out of the fanclub members? As tempting as that sounded (Not! Sayo was a good, peaceful person, not a delinquent!), she did not want to get expelled. Her only remaining option was, as much as she hated agreeing with Lisa, showing some public affection to make sure everybody knew Yukina was _her_ girlfriend. They should probably take a hint if Sayo did something relatively modest like holding Yukina's hand, right?

That day after classes, as Sayo and Yukina were walking home together to their shared apartment just off campus, Sayo decided to hold Yukina's hand. Yukina looked at her questioningly. What? Lisa did this all the time and Yukina never questioned her! And Lisa was just a _childhood_ friend, not a _girl_ friend!

"I thought it would be nice to have some physical intimacy once in a while," Sayo answered.

"Oh." Yukina nodded. She didn't look too convinced, but at least she didn't let go of Sayo's hand.

Sayo made sure to keep Yukina's hand clasped tightly throughout the entire journey. She made sure their schoolmates had a good view of it, especially the ones who had been stealing glances at them – likely their fans. They would certainly be talking about this tomorrow. They must!

"Hey, did you see Roselia's guitarist walk with Minato-san yesterday?"

"Oh, you mean Hikawa-san? She is a science major I think. You don't see her around this area of campus much."

"She was holding Minato-san's hand. What is their relationship? I thought Minato-san is dating Imai-san?"

"Of course. You have not heard? Hikawa-san is like…the loyal guard hound of Roselia. Probably leading Minato-san to safety from all those other pesky fans, you know? It can't be helped. I'm sure Imai-san, being so understanding and generous, would forgive her."

Sayo ground her teeth together so hard her enamel threatened to flake. She might like dogs very much, but she attested she herself _was not a dog_! And the one who should be begging for forgiveness wasn't Sayo, but Imai Lisa, the woman who had no concept of interpersonal boundaries! This was ridiculous. Sayo couldn't believe the fans were so downright delusional. This left her with no other option but to step up her game.

Through her connections (Rinko), Sayo got a list of the prominent leaders within the YukiLisa movement. She found (by stalking them a couple days) that they usually ate lunch at the fountain near the law library. With this, Sayo plotted something big.

That day, Sayo brought Yukina with her to eat in the vicinity of the law library, ensuring that they were in the direct line of sight of the YukiLisa fan leaders. Sure enough, they gasped and stared at Sayo and Yukina upon arrival. Perfect. Sayo picked up an egg roll from her bento with her chopsticks and lifted it to Yukina.

"Yukina, ahh~"

"Sayo?" Yukina quirked an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am. Why would I not be?"

"But…" Yukina pointed at the egg roll.

"Is Imai-san the only one allowed to feed you?"

"That's…" Yukina looked away, her face lighting up red. She finally decided to close her eyes and open her mouth timidly. "Ahh…"

Sayo popped the egg roll into Yukina's mouth. She then looked over at the YukiLisa fan leaders who were smiling sweetly at her.

"Aww…Hikawa-san takes such good care of her friends. I am so touched."

"I know. Imai-san is so lucky to have such a gallant friend to defend her girlfriend while she is not around."

"The friendship between Roselia members is so beautiful…I think I might cry!"

Sayo hated how good her ears were to have heard that entire conversation even from where she was sitting. What was wrong with those three idiots? Were their heads empty or filled with straw? She had had enough. "Yukina," she called. Yukina tilted her head up to survey Sayo, her mouth still occupied with chewing the egg roll. Sayo waited only till Yukina swallowed the egg roll, then she pressed her lips hard against Yukina's.

"Mhmm...!?"

Sayo begged entrance with her tongue. Yukina finally granted it after her initial shock wore off and she started clumsily reciprocating. Their deep French kiss lasted maybe twenty seconds, leaving even Yukina gasping for breath.

"Sa…Sayo…are you really alright?"

"I am sorry. Did you not like that?"

"That's not it…I mean…but why?"

"I just wanted to do it. Is that okay?"

Yukina nodded slowly. Sayo was glad she didn't hurt Yukina or anything. Now back to those three over by the fountain…

"Tamako, stop squirming. We can't wash out the sand from your eye if you keep doing that."

"But…but it hurts!"

"It doesn't. It's just sand. Stop being a baby."

"It hurts my heart that I can't keep watching my beloved Minato-san. Ahh…friendship is beautiful."

Sayo's jaws dropped. Did they miss Yukina and Sayo's kiss just because one of them got sand in her eye and the other two started fussing over her instead of watching? How dare they stop paying attention? How dare they!?

The insanity of the situation drove Sayo over the edge. That night, when they were in bed, Sayo pinned Yukina onto the mattress. Yukina's eyes went so wide that they looked like golden saucers even under the dim moonlight streaming from a crack in the curtains. She reached a hand up to Sayo's forehead.

"You really don't have a fever?" Yukina asked, her voice filled with concern. This was Yukina they were talking about. She didn't exactly wear her emotions openly. For her to sound openly concerned meant that she was probably afraid Sayo was literally _dying_.

"I am fine. Just want to return the favour from last week."

Strange as this might seem to those who didn't know them well, Yukina was usually the one to initiate sex. Sayo was too easily embarrassed, too _proper_. Yukina, on the other hand, did not hesitate to do what she wanted when she wanted. She might look like a block of ice on the outside but she was perfectly capable of being wild in bed if that was her choosing. Tonight, though, Sayo was topping. She was groping, she was licking, she was biting. She made sure to leave some marks on Yukina's pale and flawless neck so everybody – even those three dumb _bricks_ – would behold her work!

And the next morning?

"Do…Do I really have to go to class without a scarf?" Yukina muttered, touching her left fingers to her neck. Her right hand was, again, held in Sayo's grasp as they walked to school.

"You did leave marks on me last week too, Yukina."

"But you could've worn a scarf."

"It was thirty degrees Celsius."

"Uuu…"

Sayo kept proudly striding towards campus with Yukina in hand. Ahead were the three blokes who were immediately drawn to their presence. They definitely noticed how Yukina kept picking at her own neck. Well, those kiss marks Sayo left were quite prominent, she must admit. She felt maybe a bit sorry for Yukina's predicament.

"Oh look, Minato-san's neck is bruised."

"You think she fell or something? Is she alright?"

"Those are clearly kiss marks, Tamako."

"Imai-san must've gone all out last night."

Sayo inhaled so loudly that even those three heard it. They froze as Sayo approached them, towering with her height so that the three stood in her shadow.

"Listen."

They gulped.

"I made those marks. This pair of lips, with which I am speaking to you right now, was what was pressed against Yukina's neck. I sucked on her skin so hard that it bruised, all while my fingers were…"

A hand was shoved atop Sayo's mouth to stop her from finishing the sentence. Yukina's. She was burning like a roasted tomato.

"I…I'd rather they don't know where your fingers were last night…"

And so, the rumours were finally corrected. Roselia's leader was cheating on their bassist with their guitarist…

No! Imai Lisa was dating a member of their rival band, god damn it. Get the facts straight!


	27. Of Rowboats and Wild Cats

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ My writing speed has decreased recently because I was distracted by a farming game, lol.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, very subtly implied sexual content, camping

* * *

 **Of Rowboats and Wild Cats**

 _"I want to try out an activity of your liking, Sayo."_

It had been three months since Sayo confessed to Yukina and they started dating. It still felt a little surreal. Sayo had held feelings for their band leader for a considerable while now, maybe even since they first met, but for the longest time her heteronormative upbringing convinced her that those were just friendly admiration and nothing more. Those feelings became harder and harder to ignore when she found herself irritated whenever Lisa put a hand on Yukina or made her smile by offering cookies – Sayo went out of her way to beg Hazawa-san for intensive lessons just to make _better_ cookies that would rival Lisa's to earn Yukina's praise. She became so transparent that even her sister, god forbid, came up to ask her straight in the face, "Oneechan likes Yukina-chan, right? Why don't you just confess?" But how? What did she even want from Yukina anyway? Well…many things, admittedly, such as hugging her and kissing her and touching her in places – gaaaaah! This was making her sound like a pervert! So, did Sayo just lust after Yukina? If she didn't, how was that different from the friendship they already shared? Or maybe she was just an overly possessive friend like Lisa. Sayo still remembered how she rolled her eyes at Lisa dumping gifts of knits on Yukina last winter. She did not want to be a possessive friend, thank you very much.

She decided to confess anyway, if only so that Yukina would reject her and she could stop thinking about this. To her surprise, Yukina gave her a simple, "I do not really understand what dating entitles, but I do not mind trying if it's you." Eh? But why? It was such a rude question when Sayo was the one to confess. Yukina indulged her anyway. "I do not see why not. We are of like minds, so I know this would not interfere with our musical activities. And I do like you, Sayo. I always find it pleasant when we are together."

So that was how it all started. The first few weeks, there were few noticeable differences. Well, Sayo was very self-aware of their new relationship and might've even kept a distance to Yukina because whenever they were in proximity, she couldn't stop herself from blushing like an idiot. She eventually got used to it and they resumed their previous routines of practising together at the studio, sometimes visiting each other's homes to work on compositions. One time, when they were walking home together, Yukina held onto Sayo's hand, which surprised Sayo so much she might've jumped. Yukina asked her what was wrong, to which Sayo could just give an awkward smile and say it was nothing. Holding hands was definitely up there on the list of things Sayo had wanted to do but dared not to until now. It made her really happy that Yukina took the initiative to move their relationship along.

Sayo knew she had to do something in return. She tried to think of what Yukina would like to do. What did she like? Music? They had been playing music together all this time. Cats? She wondered if Yukina would be fine with Sayo following her to the park to feed the stray cats since Yukina seemed somewhat embarrassed about her hobby. But they were dating now. Sayo couldn't always be so reserved. So, she pushed herself to ask, to which Yukina ended up acquiescing, and they spent a lovely afternoon playing with the cutesy fluff balls. Sure, they weren't puppies, but Sayo liked kittens too…liked them very much, in fact.

It was at the end of that afternoon that Yukina brought up the suggestion of wanting to do an activity of Sayo's liking, maybe as a token of appreciation for Sayo's accommodation. Sayo asked if she could have some time to think about it, and now she was wracking her brains to find something she liked that Yukina would also enjoy doing. Visiting puppies seemed awfully uncreative. Doing archery was an option, but she didn't know whether she could get the keys to their college's range on a weekend, and if they were to do it on a weekday instead, they would not be afforded any privacy with the other club members also practising nearby. Besides, it had been well-established through multiple Roselia outings that Yukina had absolutely no talent in doing sports. Sayo didn't want their date to end in Yukina slicing her own fingers open with the bowstring.

Camping, maybe? Back when Sayo had been in a good relationship with her sister as a child, their family often went camping together. Obviously during that little ice age she had with Hina, they stopped going – that and her father's work had gotten increasingly busy. Lately, now that their sibling problems had been resolved, Sayo and Hina had picked up camping again and would occasionally go together. Sayo was used to arranging everything, from transportation to packing the gear to food prep; Hina could not be trusted with any of the above. Sayo had some confidence that she could plan something that would be enjoyable to Yukina too. At any rate, Yukina wasn't the type to whine "Are we there yet?" the way Hina would on a train ride that exceeded ten minutes.

So Sayo passed the idea over to Yukina who accepted without complaint. Yukina asked if she needed to bring anything, but Sayo was happy enough to take care of everything. She texted Yukina to inform her which train station to meet at that weekend and the time. According to those directions, Yukina arrived punctually as always.

"Good morning, Mi-Yu…Yukina."

"Good morning, Sayo."

Yukina had an amused smile on her face, probably from the way Sayo still struggled to call her by given name instead of by surname as she had for the past two years. It wasn't that Sayo had intentionally kept the formality between them. She had just gotten so used to it that it was hard to change the habit. Deep down, she had been quite happy that Yukina had asked her to change her way of address. It seemed like with this, they had come one step closer to each other.

Sayo held onto Yukina's hand and led her down to the platform of their train. Yukina was wearing a pair of flannel pants and a simple button-up shirt today. Still considerably formal for an excursion in the wilderness, but should be comfortable enough to move in. Sayo had asked her to bring a thick jacket as it could still get pretty cold at night, which Yukina informed her was in the backpack she was carrying.

"Is this your first time camping?" Sayo asked.

"Yes. I am quite excited." Yukina then gestured to what Sayo had strapped to her back. "You brought a guitar? An acoustic?"

"We will be going to a beginner-friendly campground with many facilities on site. I have already rented a yurt with running water and a firepit and all. It is closer to a hostel than a tent, really, so there isn't much we have to bring. I figured if we were to bring anything, something to entertain ourselves with would be best."

"Isn't this kind of cheating?"

"Well, if you end up liking the experience, we can always take it up a level next time."

"I will look forward to it," Yukina said with a smile.

A short train ride took them to the campground some distance away from the city. Few houses stood in this area – the ones that did were of an older architectural style, detached units built of wood and roofed by blue tiles. The hills surrounding the campground were not very tall, dotted by clumps of vegetation with canopies that looked like giant broccoli. Lower down the forests were bamboo groves dangling down to a shallow lake. Few cherry trees were planted along the shore, stray petals raining onto the clear water surface.

Yukina seemed taken by the scene. She closed her eyes. Took a breath. Then reopened her eyes and just stared ahead.

"The scenery is beautiful, right?" Sayo asked.

"Un." Yukina nodded.

Sayo, too, took a moment to appreciate the scenery. "We can rent a rowboat at the dock over there. The scenery might be even nicer on the lake." She added.

"Let's do it."

They first checked in at the administration building on the campsite and received their keys for the yurt where they dropped off their belongings. Then they made it down to the dock. It was Yukina's first time rowing and her first time putting on a life vest, so Sayo had to help her with that.

"It's snug, isn't it?" Yukina remarked.

"It would float up in the water and can pop out over your head if it's not on tightly."

"I see."

Yukina patted the thick vest, prompting a giggle from Sayo. She gave Sayo an indignant stare. "Please don't mind me," Sayo said in response.

Sayo held the boat in place to let Yukina on first. It was a little precarious, as Yukina wasn't the most dextrous and nearly tipped the boat. Thanks to Sayo's arm strength, she managed to stabilize the boat, and after Yukina took her seat, she too got on the vessel.

Sayo taught Yukina the basics of rowing. They each operated an oar, one on each side of the vessel. They made the cherry tree on the other side of the small lake their goal and set off towards it. It took a while for them to move out of the dock – Yukina was still struggling with how to row in the right direction. Once they were in open waters, it was easier to move the boat. At least when they did move in circles, their vessel wasn't hitting anything. The difference in their arm strengths caused the boat to swerve, and rather than heading towards the other side, they curved towards the right. Yukina noticed and apologized awkwardly.

"I am sorry. I am not so good at this."

"It is no problem. If you are tired, we can just stop here?"

"I want to go a little further."

Despite Yukina's insistence, she really didn't have much energy left, and after a few more rows just let the oar drop and she turned her head up to stare at the skies overhead.

"Maybe I should've planned a different activity instead?" Sayo muttered regretfully.

"No. I am having fun."

"Eh?"

Yukina tilted her head back down so she could stare at Sayo. "This is difficult, but I am glad we tried it. There is so much I still don't know. I would like to focus on music, but I have come to the realization that studying alone cannot bring me to the next level. Inspiration comes from all places. Without widening my view of this world, I cannot broaden the sound of my music and touch more hearts with it."

"I see. Your vision is impressive as always, Yukina."

"Likewise."

They spent the next moments in silence. They might've moved in a different direction than previously planned, but the view was beautiful here too nonetheless. There was another cherry tree close by, the blossoms a lighter pink that appeared almost white. It dotted the azure skies, spreading a faint scent over the lake waters.

"I like it like this," Yukina muttered.

"Calm and quiet?"

"Yes. I am not good with bright colours and the noise of crowds. It may sound strange, since I have no problems performing on-stage with loud music being played. It is…the dissonance, the chaos that I cannot stand. I like to focus. Places like this, where there is ample space, are comforting. It is as though I can fill the space with my feelings, my sound."

Save the rustling of leaves and distant bird chirps, there was just the sound of their voices. Sayo was confident she could hear a pin drop. So, this was what Yukina meant by focus. The colours of nature were likewise easy to make sense of. Though a single petal could have a darker red stem that branched out and faded to a whiter body, the transition was gradual and…logical. There was a strange order in this world that needed not mankind's intervention. Sayo slowly understood Yukina's meaning.

The sun was setting, beautiful, but with it the temperature dropped and the wind no longer a gentle caress but carried a cold bite.

"Shall we head back?" Sayo asked. "We still have some time, so we can take it easy on the way back."

"Alright."

The scenery had changed, from blues and greens to pinks and golds. Light danced over the ripples made by their oars. _Swoosh, drip, drip_ …the oars ripped through the waters and propelled them forward. It was an entrancing rhythm, like a song of its own. As though catching onto the metaphor, Yukina tried to row harder. The oar pounded the waters with a sharp splashing sound, creaking against the rowlock. Sayo, too, sped the rhythm and their vessel darted forth, cutting a line across the lake. By the time they got close to shore, Yukina lifted the oar in exhaustion. Sayo did the same, letting the momentum carry them the rest of the way. They drifted to the dock; Sayo angled the boat so they floated in sideways.

"Seems like you got the hang of rowing towards the end." Sayo praised.

"It's only expected. I tried my best."

There was something genuine about Yukina's smile that made Sayo relieved. She had been worried Yukina wasn't enjoying their trip thus far – this dissipated the worries. Sayo helped Yukina onto the dock.

"Thank you for the hand," Yukina accepted Sayo's hand and allowed herself to be pulled onto the wooden platform.

"Tired?"

"Very much so," she said with a heavy exhale, "and hungry."

"Well, let's head back to our yurt and get our fire started so we can cook something."

They trekked back to the campsite and reached it as the last light of dusk started waning away. It was quiet there too. It was still early in the camping season so there were few who wanted to brave the remnants of winter cold that sometimes crept into spring nights. It was nice in its own way though – they had plenty of privacy and could enjoy the wilderness at their own pace without too many distractions. Sayo got started on the fire in their stone-lined pit. She showed Yukina how to make a mini raft from logs to contain the newspaper Sayo had brought along as a firestarter, setting kindling loosely atop that. Sayo lighted a match, slipped it under the newspaper to ignite it, then blew gently to feed oxygen to the fire and help it light up the kindling. Larger twigs were then added slowly, almost like a teepee, and once the fire was large and hot enough, larger pieces of wood were added, always ensuring enough space between the fuel for air to circulate and keep the fire going.

"The fire is hotter than I expected," Yukina remarked.

"It is. And it does get pretty dry." Sayo dug through her pack for a tube of moisturizing lotion which she handed to Yukina. "Might want to put some on before your skin gets uncomfortable."

Now that the fire was going, Sayo filled her pot with drinking water available from their yurt and put it in the ashes by the side of the fire.

"Is this part of the cheating?" Yukina asked.

"Better treated tap water than creek water for our first camping trip. We definitely won't get sick from this," Sayo answered with a laugh.

The pot boiled soon enough and Sayo poured the water into their cup noodles. Sure, their meal was a little too processed for a true wilderness experience, but it was lightweight to bring and simple to make. Yukina wasn't complaining. She seemed to like the curry ramen well enough.

After the meal, as Sayo was about to take out her guitar to play something for fun, which in reflection was quite some character development seeing as two years ago she had seen the guitar as a necessity rather than a hobby, Yukina left the vicinity to use the washroom in the admin building. It should've been a short break, except she disappeared for half an hour, leaving Sayo extremely worried. She did claim the tap water wouldn't make them sick, and it had been boiled in Sayo's pot too. But what if…what if a stomach virus still slipped its way into Yukina's cup noodles somehow and that was why she had gone for so long? Sayo knew she was being a worrywart, but she couldn't stop herself from getting up and heading over to the admin building to check if Yukina was okay. When she didn't find Yukina there, the worries worsened.

Where was Yukina? Did she get kidnapped? Or did a wild animal get to her? No, that would be unlikely. This wasn't a survival video on Youtube shot in the remote forests halfway across the world. There weren't wolves or jaguars in Japan. Given Yukina's clumsiness, it was more likely that she somehow got lost.

Sayo tried to calm herself and approach this more methodically. There was only one path that went around the entire campground. Yukina probably just walked in the wrong direction. Sayo hurried her steps along the path that winded uphill to a viewing point the looked over the nearest city. To Sayo's relief, she found Yukina there.

"Sayo," Yukina called her name, sounding glad. "I was lost."

Sayo gave a knowing smile. "I figured. You wandered here by chance?"

"No. It took me here."

Upon approach, Sayo noticed a small animal by Yukina's side. Yukina picked it up, eliciting a lazy meow.

"A cat?"

"Un. I found it when I was lost. I thought it would lead me back to the campground but this is where I ended up."

Sayo chuckled a little. Only Yukina would trust a wild cat to bring her home. Perhaps noticing the helplessness in Sayo's laughter, Yukina looked down a little in what seemed like an apologetic gesture. "Sorry to have worried you, Sayo. I should've been more diligent."

"It is not your fault." Sayo shook her head. "It's probably on me. I worry too much. Because…well…I used to believe nothing good would ever happen to me. I'm not as talented as Hina. I'm always number two in everything. And anything I've ever looked forward to, it would be taken away from me. If I looked forward to going to the summer festival, it'd rain that day. So, I know it's stupid to think this, but…today seems almost too good to be true."

Sayo didn't know what she was saying. She shut her mouth and felt her face heat up from embarrassment and nervousness. She was such an idiot. What did she expect Yukina to say? Console her worthlessness?

Yukina didn't address Sayo right away. She took two steps to their side to where a railing lined the edge of the cliff. She leaned on it and gestured to the thousands of lights seen far below, twinkling like a manmade Milky Way.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Before Sayo could answer, the cat gave a satisfied "nyaaan" while stretching a paw out at the distance. Sayo reached to pet the cat. "Guess we are in agreement." The cat wasn't so agreeable though, flattening its ears and baring its teeth at Sayo with a growl. She supposed a feral cat wouldn't just trust anybody. It probably only let Yukina handle it because Yukina herself was so cat-like.

"Cats like high places. I like high places too," Yukina said. "There is something reassuring about being able to see everything in one place."

"Reassuring?"

"Yes. I said earlier I do not like dissonance and chaos. Swimming in all that makes you seem so small. But when you're above all that like we're doing now, you seem to get some power back. It is the same city, but a change of perspective changes your feelings towards it."

Sayo thought about it, then she came to an understanding. Yukina smiled and continued. "That's right. It's inevitable that you would feel inadequate when comparing yourself to Hina. She is a genius after all. And having always lived with that comparison, even coincidences seem to give proof that you are especially unlucky, that nothing good will ever come to you. But I don't think those feelings of yours are a product of weakness. They are natural. You just need a change in perspective. The world is bigger than Hina, and even if you must compare yourself to her, you are not alone."

Yukina's smile widened almost to a grin. "Roselia won't lose to Pasupare. I won't let that happen."

Yukina's confidence struck something in Sayo's heart. A surge of adrenaline urged Sayo to close the single-step distance between them and press her lips against Yukina's. In her surprise Yukina dropped the cat. It landed fine but might've turned around and scratched Sayo's pants in jealousy. Sayo didn't really feel it though. As Yukina relaxed to her embrace, she pressed harder, held tighter. At long last they parted, Yukina touching a finger to her lips while Sayo's face burned in realization of what she had just done.

"I…I am sorry," Sayo stuttered. They had been dating for a while, but this was the first time they had kissed. Sayo had imagined it to be a bit more…romantic, instead of this clumsy mess she did on a whim.

"I liked it."

"Eh?"

"You know what I just said, Sayo. I am not saying it again."

And this time, Yukina was the one who pulled Sayo down for a kiss. It was deep and passionate. Sayo could feel Yukina's burning feelings. A small part of her still refused to believe this was happening, rejected the notion that someone like Yukina, someone Sayo nearly _idolized_ , could love a failure like her. That part of Sayo struggled to find a reason for her to be loved. What did she have that Yukina would want? But the more rational part of Sayo won out, putting the self-hate behind. She would always live with this insecurity, but she should not let it consume her. She might not fully understand Yukina's feelings at this moment. That was okay. She could accept them without full comprehension, knowing as they walked forward together, Sayo would one day find her answer.

* * *

The Monday after, Roselia returned to practice. When Ako pushed open the studio door, she was surprised to be greeted by a meow. Wait, Yukina-san didn't pick up a pack of kittens again, did she? Well, turns out it wasn't a full clowder - just a single one. It was a silver cat with a black marking at the base of its left ear. Was it just Ako, or the cat bore some resemblance to Yukina-san wearing her black butterfly ornament?

"Good morning!" Ako greeted, lowering herself down to the level of the cat, "Art thou the Bringer of Darkness, the Child of Hades, your magic so powerful it shakes the ground upon which you…err…tread?"

When she reached forward to pet the cat, it hissed and stalked off behind Yukina. Lisa chuckled.

"That's Yukina's new cat alright. The name is Buyo."

Buyo did not seem friendly with Lisa either. It just sat there and glared at the redhead.

"Eh? I thought you said Yukina-san isn't allowed to have cats because after the one she had in childhood passed away she cried for half a year and sulked under a table, refusing to eat dinner?"

"Lisa!" Yukina snapped at her friend. Clearly the fact that Lisa had been broadcasting Yukina's childhood stories to everybody else was news to her.

Lisa just shrugged. "Hey, I had to explain your cat obsession somehow." She turned back to Ako, "As for Buyo, it followed Yukina and Sayo back from their camping trip on the weekend. Like, they took a train back, but somehow the cat turned up this morning having tracked them across the prefecture…"

"It's five stations away, Imai-san. Please do not exaggerate," Sayo couldn't help but rebuke.

"Whatever, Sayo. My point still stands that it's a pretty insistent cat and any normal person wouldn't have the heart to turn it away."

"How was the trip, Yukina-san?" Rinko joined the conversation with a softly-spoken question. Ako jumped at the opportunity to know more about her idol.

"Oh, oh, did Yukina-san find the entrance to the underworld through the volcanic lake of…of…"

"Avernus, Ako-chan."

"Isn't that in Naples?" Sayo couldn't help herself again.

"They found a whole lot of mosquitoes," Lisa said with a sly smile, eyeing Sayo's neck. Sayo seemed confused at first, then slapped her hands over the red marks, her face burning.

"Stop the chit-chatting, Imai-san! We are practising!"

Lisa laughed evilly. Who told Sayo to rebuke her Tale of Buyo? Revenge sure was sweet, even if it was a little petty.


	28. Cat Fight

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Sorry it has been so long since I posted anything. I wanted to write but have been busy lately. I might try to write more super short one-shots like this one in the near future.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, comedic possessiveness, 400-words flash fiction

* * *

 **Cat Fight**

Yukina and Sayo have a cat. In typical Yukina style, she gave the cat a straightforward name: Nyan-chan.

Nyan-chan is a shoulder cat. She specifically prefers Sayo's shoulder. Whenever Sayo is near, she would reach up with her paws. Sayo knowingly bends down to let Nyan-chan crawl up and sprawl her body on the shoulder, head looking over Sayo's back while Sayo supports her chubby little butt with her hands.

"Don't you think Nyan-chan is really cute, Minato-san?"

As heartwarming as the scene looks, Yukina is a little annoyed.

Sayo's shoulder is hers. Sayo's everything is hers. So even if Yukina loves Nyan-chan very much, she would not forfeit this battle for Sayo's attention so easily.

"Sayo, come over here."

There is no way Sayo could guess Yukina's intention, but like always, she does as she was told, leaving Nyan-chan behind on the couch. With Sayo now standing in front of her, Yukina puts her hands onto Sayo's shoulder and pushes down, not that she has the strength to make Sayo budge. Sayo does seem to have caught on and lowers herself to Yukina's demand. Then Yukina does the unthinkable.

She climbs onto Sayo's shoulder.

"Mi…Minato-san? Are you alright?"

"Carry me." Yukina insists.

"…May I ask…why?"

"First aid practice."

There is no good explanation for Yukina's sudden interest in the fireman's carry, but Sayo would never argue with Yukina unless the latter is being unforgivingly selfish. This isn't one of those occasions, so Sayo just wordlessly stands tall again, lifting Yukina up like a sack of potatoes.

Nyan-chan whines. Yukina stares its round, watery eyes. She smirks.

Nobody can win over Sayo. Not even Yukina's favourite pet.

* * *

Yukina had only moments to relish in her victory. Very soon after, she feels dizzy from the blood rushing up her ground-facing head. She tries craning her head up but can't really do it while slung over Sayo's shoulder.

"Minato-san, if you are uncomfortable, I can put you back down?"

Yukina can't give an answer. It would sound like an admission of defeat. Sayo doesn't press further and just lowers herself for Yukina to climb off.

Nyan-chan watches. After Yukina finds ground again, the cat yawns and licks her paw lazily. Yukina glares. Nyan-chan is clearly chiding her and she doesn't like it.

Yukina vows to one day become sturdier and more dexterous than a cat.

Commendable goal, but sadly impossible.


	29. Chuunibyou

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Still don't have enough time to finish one of my longer one-shots, but here is something short for the time being. Yes, it is definitely inspired by Symphogear.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, comedy OOC, 300-words flash fiction

* * *

 **Minato-san Can Get Chuunibyou Too**

Yukina has never been a huge anime fan. It is a waste of time that can be spent honing her singing instead. But a few days earlier, Ako introduced her to a magic girl anime focused on music. One of Yukina's favourite singers play a lead role too. She couldn't help but cave in and watch an episode.

Yukina ended up watching not just one episode, but marathoning four seasons. As Sayo cook dinner, she can hear the hot-blooded anisongs, accompanied by sound effects of…are those missile explosions? …playing from Yukina's laptop in the living room. She sneaks a peek over to her girlfriend, finding her staring intently into the monitor, biting a nail in a most unladylike manner as she struggles to stay in her seat. It seems mildly surreal.

"Minato-san, dinner is almost ready."

With the ending theme now playing, Sayo surmises that the episode is over and Yukina is finally ready to eat something other than psychologically gobbling up a set of Blu-ray DVDs. Indeed, Yukina soon comes up behind her just as Sayo is frying her favourite honey-glazed salmon fillet. Yukina reaches for it with her bare hand.

"It is really hot." Sayo warns.

"That will not be a problem. I shall activate my relic."

Sayo blinks. Did Yukina just…spew the same kind of nonsense that is usually reserved for Ako?

Then Yukina sings. It sounds like a line from a hymn.

"Ecce lux mea…"

What? Was that…Latin?

While Sayo is still dumbfounded, Yukina raises her hand to the light, takes a deep breath, and plunges it down onto the salmon on the pan.

"Ouch!" She touches the fillet for barely a split second.

Sayo isn't sure what Yukina expected her half-assed Latin song to do. Whatever it is, it clearly didn't work.


	30. Summer Night

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Another ultra short story while I keep working on other projects. Somewhat self-indulgent seeing as the weather has been pretty hot lately. Damn global warming.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, sharing a bed, cuddling & snuggling, comedy OOC, 300-words flash fiction

* * *

 **Summer Night**

Sayo lived up to her surname. Yukina found her pleasantly cool to the touch during the summer.

"Mi…Minato-san! Please stop clinging to me!"

And so, on this hot summer night, Yukina refused to let go of Sayo while they lay in bed together, pressing up against Sayo's back where it was bare save for her bra strap.

"It is too hot," Yukina answered.

"Pressing against me won't help! I have body heat too!"

"Still, Sayo feels nice and cool."

"That's because I just took a cold shower!"

When Yukina fell silent, Sayo turned around to find her frowning. Sometimes, Yukina could be strangely unrealistic. Had she expected some sort of fantasy explanation for Sayo's skin temperature? Because her surname had the character of "ice" in it? That it would mean Sayo was from a lineage of ice mages or something? Despite her serious demeanour, Yukina's head could be stuck as highly in the clouds as Ako's. Where else did she get inspiration for those over-the-top Roselia lyrics?

"Let's just turn on the air-con for a bit." Sayo suggested.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because Sayo wasted too much money whaling for my back-to-back four-star cards on the Garupa game this month. I do not want to pay a hefty electric bill all by myself."

The verbal attack hit Sayo like an arrow to the chest. She did not need to be reminded of the sad state of her bank account. While Sayo lamented the numbers she last saw on the ATM, Yukina took the opportunity to latch on again, this time from the front. Sayo only noticed when she felt… _softness_ being rubbed against her.

"Mi…Minato-san! If you keep going like this-"

"You do not like it?"

"That's not it…"

"Then it is fine."

It wasn't. Sayo could feel her temperature skyrocket. It was too hot for this. Much too hot!

"Sayo, stop heating up. You will make me sweat."

As though she could help it!

"Minato-san, I am not a human ice pack, you know?"


	31. Spilt Milk

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I really shouldn't be writing this, because I have a lot more important things to be working on right now. Alas, the idea struck me when seeing all those Lisa birthday celebration tweets flood my tl.

 **Tags:** established relationship, comedy, flash fiction

* * *

 **Spilt Milk**

Lisa watched as Yukina unceremoniously poured milk onto the studio floor.

"Oh no. I spilt milk," Yukina said stiffly.

Yukina's voice still wasn't as stiff as the steps Sayo took to reach her. Sayo then bent over so exaggeratedly to inspect Yukina's damage that she appeared to not just be mildly nearsighted, but legally blind.

"Oh no, the milk is getting all over the mic cable!"

Ako and Rinko looked like they wanted to help salvage Yukina and Sayo's horrible skit, but Ako was holding the doorknob far too hard to steady herself while stifling laughter, and Rinko was so red in the face from second-hand embarrassment that she seemed about to faint.

Lisa spared them further torture. She walked up to Yukina and Sayo.

"Oh, Imai-san, you couldn't have come at a better time." Sayo's robotic words kept spewing.

"Lisa, you are our last hope."

Lisa dumped down the wad of napkins, conveniently placed right next to the obviously intentional spill, to soak up the mess while she quirked an eyebrow at the two "actresses". She had to mentally put that word in quotes lest Chisato chide her to oblivion.

"What are you two even trying to accomplish?"

"What do you mean?"

"I do not think I understand the implication, Imai-san?"

The denial made Lisa roll her eyes. Having recovered, Rinko moved hesitantly closer to whisper in Lisa's ear.

"I…umm…think Yukina-san and Hikawa-san are trying to make you happy…You know, because it is your birthday, Imai-san."

"Sorry, Rinko. I do not quite understand. How is intentionally spilling milk going to make me happy?"

"Well…last time when you took a break from practice, and I…umm…spilled the milk, we were struggling to clean it up. Then you came in and helped us, and afterwards…you looked happy."

Lisa quite literally smacked her palm to her face. Oh dear. Did Yukina and Sayo think she had been happy because she got to clean up milk? What, did she look like a wannabe maid?

Then again, who else but Yukina and Sayo could come to such conclusion, and use it to support the idea of inventing such a cringeworthy skit to celebrate her birthday?

No wonder those two were dating. Birds of a feather sure flocked together.

Lisa pulled Yukina and Sayo together. She nodded at the picture-perfect couple.

"You may now kiss the bride," she said to Yukina.

"What?"

"I am saying you two should just get married."


	32. Massage

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_

Because I am old and my back hurts.

Yukina's attempted therapy is not recommended though, for obvious reasons.

I will write longer one-shots or even a multi-chapter YukiSayo work soon. Hopefully. It has just been a busy month.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, comedy, Lisa has a naughty brain, flash fiction

* * *

 **Massage**

Back pain was what many guitarists experienced, especially one like Sayo who often neglected her own health in favour of practice. When she was a teen, the pain would go away after a night's sleep. But now that she was older, even when she started paying more attention to good posture and implementing necessary breaks, the damage had already been done, and she'd be hit especially hard whenever it rained. On this rainy day, like many before it, Sayo was lying face-first on the bed to avoid putting any pressure on her back that had started feeling like it was being mangled by a hungry lion. How she wished for a gentle massage to ease those knotted muscles!

Sayo and Yukina's cat, Buyo, lost to no dog on the department of being humankind's best friend. As though reading Sayo's mind, it leapt onto Sayo's back, delivering a satisfying pop to her most painful shoulder joint. Then Buyo proceeded to knead her paws around the joint; with each squish Sayo felt the inflamed area relax, as though the very tissues that made up the structure unwound from the flaring nerves.

"You're the best, Buyo…"

Yukina took note of Sayo's reactions. She was determined to put it to good use in the future.

Then came a day when Sayo's back pain relapsed during practice. As much as Yukina would like to bring Buyo to every practice, Marina-san wouldn't be too happy about pets in the studio. As such, while Sayo lay down on a spare couch to rest, waiting for the Ibuprofen's effects to kick in, Yukina came to her side.

"Sayo, let me help."

"Minato-sa…AAN!?"

Sayo's voice turned to a scream when Yukina sat her butt _hard_ onto Sayo's back. She was surprised nothing cracked. Then Yukina smashed the heel of her hands by either side of Sayo's spine. She grabbed Sayo's flesh by fistfuls - thankfully, Yukina had no habit of letting her nails grow – and raked her fingers downwards, leaving angry red marks on Sayo's skin.

"How does it feel, Sayo?"

Sayo had figured that Yukina was trying to give her a massage at this point, albeit a very rough one. Who was she kidding? It felt like she was being butchered, but the butcher was her precious "Minato-san", so a small, secretly masochistic part of her gratefully wished for more.

In between two violent digs of Yukina's claws, Sayo managed to catch a breath and reply:

"Since it is Minato-san giving me a massage, it cannot feel too ba…AAD!"

…

Outside the locked doors, Lisa was shaking her head while holding her hands over Ako's ears.

"Sheesh, keep it down you idiot couple. There are kids out here."


	33. Gotta Catch'em All

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Has been a long time since I've uploaded more YukiSayo. I haven't forgot about this pairing! I've just been working on my multi-chapter fic. Anyway, I decided to post this little one-shot in celebration for Yukina's birthday. Hope you enjoyed reading!

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, comedy, birthday, cohabitation, implied sexual content

* * *

 **Minato-san Has Gotta Catch'em All**

Because Ako's favourite idol, Yukina-san, seemed to have enjoyed playing _Neo Fantasy Online 3_ when Ako urged her to try it upon its release earlier this year - albeit constantly getting lost and running into superpowered monsters that could zero her HP in a single turn - Ako decided to make a more beginner-friendly game on RPG Maker to gift to Yukina on her birthday. Said birthday gift now rested on the low table in Sayo and Yukina's shared apartment.

Sayo picked it up, glancing over the childish drawings on the CD cover.

"Seriously, Udagawa-san is such a child. She is 22 already. Why is she still playing silly computer games, let alone think that Minato-san would be equally childish?"

Yukina reached over to take the CD.

"Let's play it."

Sayo nodded smugly with crossed arms. "That's right. Let's throw it in the tra…wait, are you playing it?"

"I am."

Yukina inserted the disk into her PC, much to Sayo's disbelief.

The game started with a pixel version of Yukina talking to "Professor Lisa" in a stereotypically white-walled and white-floored laboratory. Pixel Yukina was a new recruit in the quest to tame the monsters of the "Music World" in order to tune the worldly harmony and bring peace. Something along those lines. Sayo figured that Rinko had helped edit Ako's ridiculous fantasies to a semi-coherent game background.

Anyway, Yukina was given ten "Music Balls" and a "Music Dex". Why not just call them "ripped off Pokeballs and Pokedex", Ako-chan? As Sayo was facepalming at the resemblance, all while refusing to admit she was once a Pokemon fan at the age of seven, Yukina controlled her pixel character into an unknown field outside the laboratory. Yes, she could get lost even in an RPG Maker game.

 _[Yukina encounters a wild Sayomon]_

"What?" Sayo shouted at the screen when a pixel version of herself appeared, with additional features of a pair of triangular ears and a bushy wolf tail. Yukina's reaction was far more positive. Her eyes were now glued to the game.

 _[Yukina chooses to…]_

 _Attack_

 _Special_ _Attack_

 _Defend_

 _Inventory_

Remembering her experience with NFO, Yukina knew the "Attack" and "Defend" options were pretty useless at this stage in the game. The conversation with "Professor Lisa" taught her that she couldn't capture any monsters with her "Music Ball" until she weakened their HP, so she chose the "Special Attack" menu.

 _[Special Attack]_

 _Sing_

 _Pet_

 _Nuzzle_

 _Cuddle_

"Of course you'd pick 'Sing'! The others aren't even options!" Sayo snapped, as though Ako would be able to hear her complaints over the monitor. No use though, as she subsequently watched in horror Yukina tapping the down arrow to the "Pet" option and hitting the "Enter" button.

 _[Yukina chooses to pet Sayomon.]_

 _[The special attack is very effective!]_

 _[Sayomon rolls over to expose her belly and cannot attack.]_

"I do not roll over to…to…expose my belly!"

Yukina turned to stare blankly at Sayo. Sayo gulped, remembering what had happened last night. As with many nights, she had indeed rolled over onto her back so Yukina could unbutton her shirt and…do things…with her belly…and other places…

"I apologize," Sayo ended up conceding while turning her bright red face away from Yukina's accusatory gaze. The chiptune music continued ringing for two seconds before Yukina selected the next course of action.

 _[Inventory]_

 _Music Ball_

 _[Yukina tosses a Music Ball.]_

 _[Sayomon is engulfed by Music Ball.]_

 _[Click Clack. Click Clack.]_

 _[Sayomon frees itself from Music Ball.]_

"Ah. Sayo broke free."

"You mean Sayomon! Sayomon!"

"Sayo…mon."

Sayo was convinced Yukina's pause in the middle of the fictional monster's name was every bit intentional.

"The…fictional monster's HP is only at 8 out of 100 now. What are you waiting for, Minato-san? One must be decisive in battle."

Yukina's stare as it landed on Sayo again looked almost scorning.

"But that is not the point of the game. And this is Sayo…mon."

"Just finish it for Kami's sake!" Sayo snatched over the controls and hit the lowest-situated, presumably strongest, special attack on the list.

 _[Yukina chooses to cuddle with Sayomon.]_

 _[Sayomon is enamoured.]_

 _[Sayomon: I will follow Minato-san to the greatest heights, Mon~]_

 _[Congratulations, Yukina. You have caught a wild Sayomon.]_

"What does _'mon'_ even mean!? And the tilde symbol!"

Yukina ignored Sayo's indignant comment. She scooted over to cuddle with Sayo and rubbed the latter's stomach in celebration of her victorious taming of Pixel Sayo…mon~

"Are you enamoured, Sayo?"

"Why are you teasing me too, Minato-san!?"


	34. Hina-chin is Right

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ I have been going crazy over FE3H lately, so have neglected my YukiSayo writing. This is something I wrote a while ago but haven't found the chance to post it. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, comedy, implied sexual content

* * *

 **I Can't Believe Hina-chin is Right!**

Since Hina's graduation, Ako hadn't had much opportunity to chat with her eccentric senpai. They weren't particularly close back when Hina was still in high school, but Ako had always found Hina funny, and Hina remarked Ako's talk of the seven hells and dark magic as "super rururun". Hina was no longer at Haneoka, and PasuPare was an idol band signed to an agency as opposed to Roselia being an indie band with a rock flavour, so they didn't regularly play at the same scene. It was by chance that they came across each other at CiRCLE that day, both there to put in some individual practice – well, in Hina's case, she had been there to help with Chisato's individual practice; we all knew geniuses didn't need to work hard.

Chisato had work scheduled immediately after practice, so she left Hina and Ako to their reunion at the café in front of the studio. As usual, Hina's rambles were all over the place. They were sort of hard to follow. Ako could only equate them to…the mystic runes of Alexandria…or something that made more sense, but Rinko wasn't here to finish her thought process. About the time when Ako was halfway through her milkshake, Hina brought up the topic of her twin sister.

"Ako-chan, have you noticed that Oneechan is a little weird lately?"

"Sayo-san?" Ako thought about it. "I guess…a little? Her guitar is still super cool as always! Cold as the eternal ice on Mount…Mount…Mount Fuji sounds really stupid here, and it's not really frozen in the summer."

"Niflheim? Thrace? Eisriesenwelt?"

Hina's thesaurus level of knowledge was confusing, but her choices sounded…cool?

"Eternal ice of Niflheim then, hahaha…" Ako answered awkwardly, "Anyway, about Sayo-san lately, I noticed that she is sorta…spacing out at times? It's never during rehearsals. Just at break time. I don't know if she's thinking about something."

"She's horny!" Hina offered in a cheerful tone. Ako nodded at first, not exactly catching on, then when she understood what Hina said retrospectively, she nearly jumped, choking on her milkshake.

"H-H-Horny!? _*cough cough*_ Sayo-san!?"

"I searched her bag one day…"

"Hi-Hina-chin, I don't think that's a nice thing to do."

"I'm just concerned about my Oneechan!" Hina waved off Ako's comment. "Anyway, I found shoujo manga in there."

As out-of-character as that sounded, it couldn't constitute as proof that Sayo was…horny, right? She was an adult. If she had been horny, she could buy an actual porn mag.

"It could be that Sayo-san was just looking for inspiration to help Yukina-san with lyrics writing? Yukina-san has branched into writing love songs lately. Said it was popular with our fanbase."

"Hmm…" Hina mumbled, stroking her chin. "That could be it, but Oneechan marked the intimate scenes with post-its and even took notes."

Ako might've spat out some milkshake.

"That…That is an admirable level of dedication. As expected of Sayo-san. The supreme, devoted, Aphrodite's…Aphrodite's…err…fan?"

"Champion of Horny!"

Hina's suggestion made Ako freeze in her spot. That was definitely not what she was looking for. Rinrin, where are you? Ako-chan wanted to say something cool-sounding, not weird!

"Can…Can we not call Sayo-san…horny?"

"Why?" Hina asked innocently.

"I don't think Sayo-san would like that very much."

"Eh? Even though it's true?" Hina crossed her arms, seemingly deep in thought. "I guess that means we'll just have to relieve Oneechan's horniness by finding her a girlfriend."

"Wait, did you just say _we_!?"

…

"Hina-chin, do I really have to do this?"

"Yes! How else can we determine who might be a good candidate for Oneechan's sappy love?"

Sayo and Yukina were walking into the studio room, prompting Ako to hurriedly cut the phone conversation short. Hina had asked her to tail after Sayo during and after Roselia practice – said that Sayo had been coming home late these days and she was wondering where Sayo had gone. This really was a bad idea… Concerned as Ako was for Sayo's well-being, stalking her didn't seem like a good solution. And if Sayo found out, Ako was sure to get a long earful from the former disciplinary committee head of Hanajo.

"You are early, Ako." Yukina noted when she opened the door.

"Umm…yeah! You showed up with Sayo-san today."

Sayo, who had gone over to start setting up her guitar, stopped in position and looked a little…red?

"We ran into each other on the way." Yukina explained. "It is good you showed up early, but I see that you have not set up yet. Let's stop wasting time and start practising."

"Yes…" Ako answered in a deflated tone. Was it just her, or was Yukina a little stricter today than usual?

…

Practice went on for two hours before they had their first break. It had gone fine. If anything, Ako was the one who lacked attention and got scolded multiple times. During break, she had to practise some more individually to make up for the mistakes while everybody else was at the café enjoying a cold drink on this summer day. Ako sent Rinko to help her spy on Sayo instead.

"So how did it go, Rinrin?" Ako asked quietly when they were back.

"Umm…I don't know what to say…"

"Eh? So…was Sayo-san on the phone with somebody? Or was she particularly close with Yukina-san or Lisa-nee, or…you?"

"Of course not me!" Rinko blushed hard at the suggestion. "I don't really know…but yes, I think Hikawa-san might be acting a bit…preoccupied."

"Right. Like right now she's just staring off into space," Ako remarked after a glance at their guitarist. Rinko nodded.

"Not really at space, more at…Yukina-san…"

"Did you say Yukina-san!?"

Rinko waved her hands frantically in front of herself. "I…I don't really know! I'm just…guessing. I mean, she could be looking at Imai-san speaking to Yukina-san, or the clock behind them…"

Hmm…this really got Ako thinking. Practice continued soon after, and two hours later they were ready to go home. Yukina and Sayo said they would be staying for a bit longer and said they'd take care of the clean-up. Lisa graciously accepted, urging Rinko and Ako to follow. Lisa was oh-so-adamant. Ako had to lie that she was taking a detour for ice-cream in order to lose her and go back to CiRCLE to continue her surveillance. By then, Yukina and Sayo were exiting the studio. Ako dodged behind a lamp post to avoid being noticed.

They were walking in the direction of Yukina's house, most likely. Ako had been to Lisa's place before and knew Yukina was her neighbour. They had mostly been walking in silence, save for a couple short exchanges about music here and there. Along the way, Yukina had slipped her hand around Sayo's, and Sayo took it cautiously, pulling them closer. Ako's eyes nearly bulged out. Yu…Yukina-san was holding Sayo-san's hand!?

At last, they reached Yukina's house. Ako had been expecting Sayo to escort Yukina here and turn back for her own home, except Yukina seemed to have invited Sayo inside. Ako had to get to the bottom of this. This was breaking news, damn it! She knocked on Lisa's door after Yukina and Sayo vanished into Yukina's house, hoping Lisa had come home by now. She had, luckily. She opened the door for Ako.

"Eh, what are you doing here at this time, Ako?"

"I…I don't have time to talk about it now. Let me borrow your room."

"Ah…I haven't cleaned up…"

Ako pushed past Lisa, said a hurried greeting to Lisa's parents, and bounded up to Lisa's room. Lisa followed after her, looking confused.

"You're spying on Yukina?" Lisa noted when Ako pulled the curtains open by a crack to peek through to the other side. Yukina's curtains were open, leaving the view of the room clear. Sayo had sat down on Yukina's bed, back facing the window, as she conversed with Yukina who was putting a CD into her stereo.

After inserting the CD, Yukina went to sit by Sayo. They stayed like that for a bit till Yukina leaned to rest her head on Sayo's shoulder. Ako gulped. Sayo then reached a hand onto Yukina's, which led Yukina to look up to her. They came close to each other. Really close. Ako knew what was to come. Her hand on the curtain trembled in recognition.

"Li-Lisa-nee, they…they are…"

"Kissing?"

"Eh? You don't seem surprised!" Ako shot Lisa an accusatory glare. Lisa just shrugged as she kept looking at the scene on the other side unfolding. The kiss had deepened. Yukina had pulled herself over to straddle Sayo, Sayo reaching around her to lock them in place. This was getting too intense. Ako knew she shouldn't be watching, but she couldn't stop herself. Maybe Hina was right. Sayo _was_ horny…

In a sudden reversal of events, Sayo took the initiative and pinned Yukina onto the bed. As she dipped down though, Yukina held her at arm's length, turning over to the window and gesturing. Shit! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! Had Ako and Lisa been found out?

That didn't seem to be it. Sayo's gaze over to Lisa's house lacked focus. Ah, so Yukina had been gesturing to the curtains. Sayo hurriedly pulled them close.

The show was over. Ako stuttered as she turned to face Lisa. "They…They are gonna have…s-s-se…"

"Sex?" Lisa finished for her, completely nonchalantly. "At least they remembered the curtains this time."

As Ako stood like a block of stone in absolute shock, Lisa rubbed her head. "Come downstairs with me for some cookies. We can bring them over to Yukina and Sayo in half an hour. They should be done by then."


	35. Homemade Lunches

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Since everybody should be back to school and work from the Christmas holidays, I thought it's the perfect time to post this fic about Yukina's miserable office life, hahaha.

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, romantic comedy

* * *

 **Homemade Lunches**

As much as Yukina had wanted to become a professional singer, it didn't work out in the end.

It wasn't that she lacked the talent or work ethics or pure skill. She also had a pretty face and was widely considered charismatic in her signature cool, confident way. But her stubborn attitude paired with impossible idealism would never work in the music industry where money was pretty much all that mattered. She did have a short period of success on the indie scene, but fans were fickle and soon her characteristic style lost its freshness; alongside a lack of budget for sustained promotion, the name "Minato Yukina" soon became forgotten.

She could just retire and wait for her wife to feed her. Sayo was a big-name surgeon now, and Sayo being Sayo, she did not mind the least to pamper Yukina. But Yukina's pride wouldn't let her do such a thing. As such, she had started working a generic office job, which she only landed because of Lisa's connections. Thankfully, the job didn't require much interpersonal interactions aside the mandatory greetings of her fellow coworkers when she came in and left the office for the day. The rest of her time was spent in front of a computer drawing outlines on photographs to help optimize how AIs could detect things. She honestly didn't care for the theory behind her work. It was repetitive and boring as some sort of frozen hell, but that was still better than retail and it did pay comparatively well. Yukina would much rather do this than stand on the street in a mini-skirt doing PSAs about the sales going on at the nearest Daikoku Drug store.

Still, even with that positive prep talk, Yukina found it hard to concentrate on her work. She was sitting at her little cubicle. The only sounds around her were the humming of computers and mouse clicks. Her supervisor was an asshole and if he caught Yukina dozing off again, she was sure to be fired. It was so hard to get through a day like this. Yukina kept staring up at the clock hanging from the front of the room; she had a clock on the bottom right corner of her monitor, sure, but the still digital display didn't give much motivation compared to a moving hand that confirmed the passage of every second.

Three more seconds till noon. Two. One.

The supervisor's door opened and out came the man who looked constantly constipated. He cleared his throat, not that it ever helped his gruff voice. "Thank you for your work. You may now have lunch."

The sighs of relief that followed was loud enough to fill the entire office. Other workers were stretching out their feet, but Yukina didn't bother, darting immediately for the pantry to ensure her lunch was first in the microwave.

"You never ran this fast during PE class in high school."

Lisa came to join Yukina in the pantry shortly after. Yukina gave Lisa an annoyed stare. "I was not a slave in high school, thus never realized the value of freedom."

Lisa chuckled. "You also weren't so snarky back then."

"College of Adulthood taught me valuable lessons."

The "ding" of the microwave interrupted their conversation. Yukina tried to grab the lunch box by her bare hands, couldn't pick it up because it was too hot, then turned to Lisa who handed her paper towels so she could use them for some insulation.

"Why hasn't the College of Adulthood taught you not to grab a hot lunch by your bare hands? This has happened way too many times already," Lisa said.

"I must express my eagerness to eat."

Lisa rolled her eyes at Yukina's comment. Even a childhood friend could not tell if Yukina was serious or being sarcastic given her monotone. Yukina found a seat at the lunch table and Lisa went to sit beside her, not that Yukina was paying much attention to anything but her lunch box. She opened it carefully. The simmered seafood medley heated up nicely. Yukina also took out Sayo's artisan bread from her lunch bag, alongside her dessert of white chocolate cheesecake which had been chilling in the fridge. The aroma and visual-appeal were enough to make mouths water.

"My husband can cook western food too," Lisa mumbled her jealousy between mouthfuls of sandwich. When Yukina scrutinized the cold PBJ, Lisa felt the need to defend herself. "I made the sandwich, not my husband. And I can cook better than Sayo. I just don't have as much time to waste on making every lunch look like it came out the kitchen of a three-star Michelin restaurant!"

"And Sayo is busier than you. She just loves me."

Lisa might've choked on her next bite and spat it out three seconds later across the table. Their coworkers were staring, not that Yukina cared.

"If you hate your sandwich so much, go back to your natto rice. Don't you like traditional Japanese food more? You don't have to force yourself to compete with Sayo's cooking."

"I swear you ain't getting any cookies from me when I make my next batch!" Lisa shouted indignantly.

Yukina just shrugged. "How old are we now, Lisa? Cookies? All that fat and sugar will clog your arteries."

Besides, Sayo's cookies were better than Lisa's nowadays.

…

Sayo finally caught a break to have some food. She took out her lunchbox from the pantry fridge and was about to microwave it, but upon opening the lid, she realized that it wasn't what she had been expecting.

It did answer her question of what the heck Yukina had been doing in the kitchen last night though.

"Dr. Hikawa, aren't you going to microwave your lunch?"

Sayo recognized that the person who had just talked to her was the pathologist down at the histology lab. She closed the lid on her lunch box and returned it carefully into its bag.

"I no longer need the microwave, but I would appreciate it if you have any leftover paraffin I could use," she said to the pathologist.

"Paraffin?"

"Yes. Paraffin."

Even if Yukina's homemade food was inedible, there was nothing stopping Sayo from preserving her loving efforts for an eternity.


	36. Sayo-san is Fluffy

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ Another one-shot I've written a while back. Have been having a writer's block lately...it sucks...

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, sharing a bed, non-sexual intimacy, idiots in love

* * *

 **Sayo-san is Fluffy Too!**

Sayo would never admit this.

But she was very, very tempted to cuddle with Yukina and…and…lick her face. You know, sort of like an over-enthusiastic puppy.

As this thought crossed Sayo's mind, she immediately denied it. Her sleepy brain must be mixing up the contents of her favourite puppy TV programme with her own bodily desires. There was no way she'd want to lick Yukina's face, even if the latter was her girlfriend. She did want to feel closer to Yukina of course, but licking was…utterly inappropriate. Even if Yukina let her (which Sayo deemed impossible, seeing as she wasn't a cat), Sayo wouldn't degrade herself to such antics. Their relationship was above this nonsense. They were partners who shared a future. They had common aspirations and the consensus to reach for them together. They did…well…share more than just ideals. They shared a home. They shared a bed. And they shared rather _private_ moments on said bed. It was only normal for a couple, Sayo convinced herself. Licking her girlfriend's face was, however, _not_ normal, according to her anyway.

The denial didn't do much to stop those subconscious desires as Sayo kept staring at Yukina's sleeping form beside her. Yukina liked to curl up in her own little corner of the bed, covering herself with the blankets so thoroughly it looked as though she'd suffocate in the cotton cocoon. This left the rest of the bed very empty. They could be sharing the bed, but it did not feel much more different than sleeping alone. Sayo was, of course, not lonely. _Distinctively_ not lonely. It was impractical to sleep hugging each other; if one tossed around, they'd wake up the other. Studies showed that sleeping alone improved sleeping quality for couples. This was a very sensible arrangement, short of using separate beds.

Still, the way Yukina closed herself off when she slept reminded Sayo of how little she knew about Yukina's thoughts and feelings at any given time. Yukina wasn't exactly fond, or she lacked the skill rather, of putting her inner self on display. This made their interactions, even in their own homes, seem mostly professional than intimate. Sayo knew this wasn't indicative of any actual problems in their relationship. They held cordial conversations, enjoyed time with each other. It was just…not always enough. Maybe Sayo was the one with an abnormality, or so she thought of herself. She knew even a decade of time hadn't completely erased her inferiority complex; she still found it somewhat surreal that she could be lovable, to someone like Yukina no less. When she accidentally confided in Hazawa-san about this insecurity, a type of happening that was more common than Sayo would've liked owing to the lack of self-confidence that plagued them both, Hazawa-san kindly listed Sayo's good points: she was generous, had a strong sense of justice, was a hard worker, and more than capable in multiple fields. Her looks had of course helped, being voted in as "Best Looking Female Musician in the Nation" according to some tabloid – Sayo would've rather been recognized for her music than her face, but such was the workings of the industry. Hazawa-san summed it up by saying there was nothing for Sayo to worry about; Yukina likely wouldn't be leaving her for anybody else. Well, it wasn't as though Sayo truly believed Yukina would break up with her or anything, and even if it did happen, it wouldn't be because there was somebody better – Yukina spent more time with their cat than humans other than Sayo nowadays, so how was she to even _meet_ somebody to cheat with on Sayo anyway?

 _"If you want to glomp her, just do it. What's stopping you?"_

Right, Imai-san. The one person Sayo had worried about taking her girlfriend away all throughout college, who turned out to be straight, married an American, and was now living somewhere in the middle of Texas if she was recalling right. It was that one time when she had been affectionately squeezing the life out of Yukina and Sayo spent the next five minutes glaring at her that Lisa had said the obnoxious line above. Sayo hated how it was ringing in her head at the moment; she could even remember the tone Lisa had said it in, so very animated like she was trying to lure a child with candy.

Sayo was no child! She could make up her mind to lick her girlfriend's face without Lisa to encourage her telepathically from the other side of the world!

Crap, once that thought rang clear in Sayo's head, there was no turning back. She was a woman of character, she would not go back on her own words, even if they were just formed in her mind. She crept over, trying not to rustle the sheets, and loomed over Yukina. She tried not to notice how the dim lights from behind the window curtains caused her to cast an ominous shadow over Yukina like that of a predatory canine. God damn it, she just wanted some affection, was that too much to ask!? Sayo planted her hands on the bedding right beside Yukina's back, used them to carefully lower herself so she could rest her head on Yukina's shoulder.

"Unnngh…you're heavy…"

Sayo jerked upwards upon hearing Yukina's voice. Yukina turned to lie on her back, her face now visible to Sayo. Her eyes were still closed, and left undisturbed, her breathing had evened out again. Sayo heaved a sigh of relief. She wouldn't know how to explain herself if Yukina had waken. Thankfully, Yukina might've mistaken Sayo's weight for their cat's? Then…perhaps…

Sayo bent down once more, emboldened by her own brilliant idea? Or maybe she just couldn't resist anymore. Yukina looked so warm and enticing. Sorry, Buyo, Sayo would soon copy your usual antics. Sayo cast one last glance over to their bedside where the cat was also sleeping in its own bed, promising more treats in the morning. Then again, Yukina would never blame a cat for anything. They might as well be her gods, right up there with rock music and Papa Minato.

And so, Sayo touched her tongue to Yukina's cheek. Admittedly, it tasted a little weird? Probably leftover foundation because Yukina had, again, failed to clean it off her face properly. But now was not the time to worry about it, because Yukina stirred – who wouldn't after getting licked!? Time to borrow the cat. Put it on Yukina's face. Quick!

"Sayo, that was itchy."

EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH!?

"I…I don't know what you're talking about, Yu…"

 ** _Oof_ **

Sayo didn't finish saying her girlfriend's name, as a pair of arms had come up from beneath the blankets to pull Sayo into a fluffy embrace. Yukina ran her hands down Sayo's hair like she was petting Buyo and gave a similar contented moan. It was…probably…a little bit…a teeny tiny bit humiliating? It must be, else Sayo's ego wouldn't be able to live with it! But…but…it felt nice. She felt herself relax to the touch, subconsciously nuzzling into the hollow of Yukina's neck.

"I love you, Yukina."

She let herself mumble the sappy line just once before falling asleep.


	37. Schrödinger's Yukinya

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_

Happy Birthday, Sayo!

Hope this little fic was able to bring a bit of joy to your day. It is a tough time in most of the world these days. Stay safe! Remember to keep your distance from others, wash your hands frequently, don't touch your face unless your hands are clean, and keep your body in tip-top health condition!

 **Tags:** established relationship, birthday, romantic comedy

* * *

 **Schrödinger's Yukinya**

One day at lunch, while Yukina was trying to find the kitty that had escaped her cuddle, she found Maya lying underneath a bench in the school courtyard.

"Yamato-san?"

"Mi…Minato-san!?" Maya looked really awkward, her smile stiff as plaster while sweat poured down her head. When Yukina just stared, she sweated even more. "This…This isn't how it looks, I swear!"

Yukina tilted her head in confusion. "How it…looks? Am I supposed to see something other than Yamato-san lying underneath a bench?"

Maya didn't know what to think. Would she rather Chisato be the one to find her, give her a weird-out face, and respond with some barbed implication that she was a pervert trying to spy on people's panties? Or would she rather this – Yukina stating word-for-word what was happening, making her feel like an absolute idiot?

"I just like tight spaces. Thought this one was perfect." Maya found the need to explain even if Yukina never asked. Yukina just nodded.

"Cats like tight spaces too."

"Right? They are wonderful! Makes you feel so relaxed, so secure, a personal paradise in the busy city."

"I see." Yukina's expression was neutral when she got up and turned away. "I shall leave Yamato-san to your sanctuary then…"

"Wait!"

Yukina turned back with an irritated look. "What is it, Yamato-san?"

Maya couldn't quite believe Yukina's obliviousness. One would think if Maya had been able to move, she wouldn't have let Yukina discover her in such a compromised state.

"Would…Would you please help me out of this bench, Minato-san? My leg has cramped up. I can't quite escape on my own."

…

The incident made little impression on Yukina until a day in March when she showed up to practice, a small gift in hand for Sayo's birthday. Lisa had asked everybody to show up early so they could decorate the place for Sayo's party. It was unnecessary, Yukina thought. While Sayo would certainly be happy for a celebration, even if she wouldn't admit it, she was a practical person at heart, and a few balloons wouldn't lift her spirits as much as thoughtful words for the occasion. When Yukina arrived, she found the room empty. Had she come too early? She decided to use the time to rest briefly, seeing as she had stayed up the entire night working on their latest song.

She tried to pick a place to sleep. The room was rather empty, meant for rehearsals rather than recreation. She could go to the lounge instead, but if she overslept, the others wouldn't know to find her there. She settled on a big cardboard box in the center of the room. What was it doing there anyway? It was open at the top and looked to be empty. Kittens would love them. Well, Yukina wasn't a cat (she couldn't be one even if she had wished so), but there wasn't anything stopping a human from sleeping in a box. Maya had stuck herself into a tight space before. There was nothing wrong with finding such spaces charming.

And so, Yukina climbed into the box and curled herself up to lay on her side. Obviously, it wasn't soft and fluffy like a bed, but it was surprisingly snuggly. As Yukina got drowsier, she closed the lid on the box to block out the light. Perfect indeed. The cardboard wasn't sealed too tightly, allowing for air circulation, but it was insulating. Warm and cozy, Yukina fell asleep.

…

"Alright, I got the soft drinks. Rinko, how is it on your end?"

"The food is ready."

"Great! And Ako?"

"You can see for yourself, Lisa-nee. Look at my handiwork! Tis the art of inferno, hellfire lasting an eternity…"

"I don't really see a fire anywhere but I think that's for the best. Good job."

"But…Ako-chan…the present box…it hasn't been wrapped yet…"

"Did you even put the gifts in yet, Ako?"

"Of course! ….I think…Anyway, let's wrap it up. We don't have much time till Sayo-san comes!"

"Fine. Fine. By the way, anyone seen Yukina?"

"I…I haven't…Sorry."

"Me neither."

"Gosh, did she forget about this? It's her girlfriend's birthday, for goodness sake. I'm gonna give her a call…Whaa? Out of service? She forgot to charge up her phone again!?"

"Can you come and help us, Lisa-nee? The box is heavy."

 ** _Bump, bump, thud_ **

"What did you put in there, Ako? I just bought her a pair of shoes! They ain't made of lead!"

"I-I-Imai-san, Hikawa-san just came through the front door and is making her way here!"

"Almost done! Just…Just turn off the lights first, Rinko. I think I got this!"

The room then turned dark and quiet. Nobody knew Yukina had been sleeping in the box all this time. She had nearly woken from the ruckus, but now that everything was still and silent again, she just shifted a little and proceeded to sleep some more…

 ** _Pop Pop_ **

"Happy Birthday, Sayo!"

"Happy Birthday, Sayo-san!"

"Happy Birthday, Hikawa-san!"

When Sayo entered the room, her surprise birthday party began. Ako tried spraying dealcoholized champagne. Didn't really work, and Sayo had to step in to open her own beverage. Lisa was cutting up the cake. Rinko was far quieter and more subdued, but nonetheless kept Sayo company throughout. It was a bit disappointing, if not worrying, that Yukina hadn't shown up yet. Nonetheless, Sayo tried to enjoy the party to show her gratitude for their goodwill. They had decided that if another half hour elapsed without Yukina's appearance, they would go look for her together.

"Sayo, still worried about Yukina?" Lisa asked.

"I…I apologize for my poor attentiveness. I really appreciate the efforts you have all made in throwing this party for me. But…I really would like to make sure Minato-san is okay."

"We…understand, Hikawa-san. Let's go look for her."

"I'll clean up now!" Ako volunteered, running over to the food to pack it all up. Rinko rushed to join her.

"The present box is sort of heavy, so maybe you should take the items out first before we leave the studio." Lisa suggested. "Here." She pushed the box over with some effort. "Happy Birthday."

Sayo smiled and tore messily into the gift wrapping. It wasn't the politest, but she couldn't help the worry in her heart that was pushing her to act more quickly. At last, the wrapping was off and she could take off the lid…

There, in the box, was Yukina.

"Ugnnn…" Yukina mumbled, sitting up much to everybody's shock. "What is going on?"

Lisa was the first to recover, a wicked smile adorning her face. "Did you make _yourself_ a present, Yukina? That's bold!"

Yukina was too busy rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes to comprehend what Lisa just said. "What?"

"Cute."

Everybody turned to the person who had just spoken. It was Sayo, her face really red and her hands trembling. She reached them towards Yukina, big watery eyes looking at her adoringly like she was the most precious thing in the world. If this were a sit-com, there would be "awwwwwwwwwwwww" sound effects going off Sayo's head.

"You know, this box can fit two people!"

"Wh-What are you doing, Imai-san!?"

"Rinko, Ako, come and help me shove Sayo into the box!"

"Sh-Should we really be doing this?"

"Don't worry about it, RinRin. I'm sure Lisa-nee has a good reason for this."

"YOU'RE ALL CRAZY!"

Sayo's scream disappeared into the void…err…the box, as they dumped her inside with Yukina and closed the lid again.

Alone, literally lying atop Yukina with entangled limbs trying to fit themselves into the cramped box, Sayo was at peak awkwardness. If it weren't so dark in here, Yukina would be able to see how her face glowed like a traffic light. In contrast, Yukina was rather calm. Just confused. One moment, she had been sleeping in a box, and the next, her childhood friend had led the other members to shove Sayo in here with her. No matter. Lisa would probably let them out sooner or later. She would lose a few years of her life if she were to get angry at every nonsense Lisa pulled on her regularly since they were five.

"Sayo."

"Y-Y-Yes, Mi-Mi-Minato…shan!?"

Yukina didn't know why Sayo was acting so weird. She reached around to placate her, pulling her into an embrace and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Happy Birthday, Sayo."

Happy birthday, indeed. Instead of placation, Sayo might've fainted from happy embarrassment. At least she didn't burst a blood vessel! The true end is a good end, praise the gods.


	38. Minato-san is Home Alone

**AN:** _(Cross-posted on AO3)_ It has been a while. Have been having a writer's block. Hope everybody is staying at home, staying safe, and practising social distancing! Let's all keep up our good work till this pandemic is over!

 **Tags:** aged-up characters, established relationship, cohabitation, comedy

* * *

 **Minato-san is Home Alone**

"Minato-san, I will be back tomorrow morning."

"Un."

"Remember to lock the door if you head out."

"I will."

"And close the windows before you go to sleep. It's getting chilly lately."

Yukina finally looked up from the score she had been working on to stare at Sayo, who had been standing at the doorway of their shared apartment for the past five minutes.

"You are nosy, Sayo."

Sayo gave an awkward chuckle. "I can't help it."

Yukina quirked an eyebrow, though Sayo did not elaborate. She hesitantly unlocked the front door and stepped out of the apartment – one leg out anyway.

"Don't sleep too late. It is bad for your health."

Sayo made a complete exit and closed the door before Yukina could make a retort. At peace at long last, Yukina turned back to her score but found her inspiration dead after Sayo's long rant. Sheesh, Sayo was just going on a one-night hot springs trip with her family. Did she have to make it seem like this was the 1400s and she was leaving her wife behind to cross the Atlantic in a sailboat?

Whatever. Yukina decided to take a bath first. Maybe it'd clear her head of Sayo's nagging.

She went into the bathroom, tossed her clothes into the laundry basket, and showered. Yukina was quite picky about her bathroom supplies. She hated poor quality shampoo that left her hair in a knotted mess but was too lazy to apply conditioner separately. For that matter, she didn't even like separate bottles for body wash and shampoo; she'd get them mixed up if she wasn't paying attention, and who would pay attention while in the shower? Okay, everybody would, at least to the degree where they wouldn't get shampoo and body wash mixed up. But Yukina being Yukina, her brain would shut down whenever music wasn't involved in her decision-making. So, what solution had Sayo come up with? Purchase a 3-in-1 shampoo + conditioner + body wash that was moisturizing and even smelled like roses! Thanks to that, Yukina just blindly pressed on the nozzle to get a big handful of the liquid and rubbed it all over herself, then turned on the shower again. Bonus points: the 3-in-1 formulation rinsed away quickly, leaving no residue. Perfect for people like Yukina who spent a total of three seconds in the water.

Done showering, Yukina moved to the bathtub only to find it…well…empty. Usually, Sayo would draw the water for the bath. Obviously, the tub wouldn't fill itself without Sayo around. Yukina sighed, plugging the drain and turning on the faucet. It took a good minute or so before the tub was filled, and it was getting awfully cold while Yukina stood waiting, naked and wet. She eagerly stepped into the bath when it was ready – or tried to, but quite literally jumped away after just touching her big toe to the water. Hot! She had thought the steamy water was a good sign, not realizing she had turned the faucet knob all the way to the red end.

"I suppose I cannot even unplug the drain with the water this hot…" Yukina muttered to herself. This bath was taking too much effort. She decided to leave it be till later, drying up first.

She reached for her towel from its usual spot. It wasn't there.

 _"Minato-san, stop leaving your towel and clothes outside the bathroom…"_

It was as though Sayo was there to scold Yukina's absentmindedness. Then again, this had happened so many times before that it was only right for the memory to replay itself in Yukina's mind in response to the current situation.

She sighed once more. This was getting annoying. But she was still determined to make it through the night without Sayo's aid!

And so, Yukina toughed out the cold and darted from the bathroom for her clothes drawer. As she crossed the living room, she was greeted by a familiar face.

Lisa.

"Whoa, what are you doing, Yukina?"

Yukina yelped, grabbing the closest item to cover herself – the goddamn table cloth.

"That should be my question. Why are _you_ here? In my house, without ringing the doorbell!"

Lisa was laughing her head off. She barely managed to contain herself to speak again.

"Sayo left me the keys so I could come feed the cat."

"We don't have a cat!"

As Lisa continued laughing, Yukina realized what Lisa had actually meant. "I am _not_ a…"

Yukina couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She secretly liked the comparison, even if it was very indignant.

"Anyway, you don't need to overreact. A table cloth? Seriously? It isn't as though I haven't seen you butt naked…"

"We are not _five_ anymore, Lisa!"

"Not that you've grown much on the chest…OOF"

Yukina flung her cat cushion at Lisa. Lisa stood in disbelief that her athletically-challenged childhood friend actually managed to hit her. Maybe she should've pissed Yukina off more back in high school, then their class might not have flopped so badly in the Sports Day competitions.

And so, while Yukina changed in the bedroom, Lisa started on the dinner preparations. Lisa was pretty confident she'd woo Yukina's stomach with this meal, lest Yukina brag again about how Sayo's cooking was the best. Unfortunately, it didn't end how Lisa would've liked.

They were now seated at the dinner table, plates placed on the bare wood since Yukina refused to cover the table again with the same cloth she had previously wrapped herself in. As Yukina started on the fish stew, Lisa stared intently at her.

"What?"

Lisa grinned. "Don't you have something to say about the food?"

"You have my gratitude," Yukina answered dully.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant. I mean, how do you find it?"

Yukina's droopy eyes landed on the stew. She looked at it for two seconds, then returned her gaze to Lisa.

"Too much fish."

"Eh? But you like fish!"

"It is out of proportion."

"I was trying to indulge you!"

"Your indulgence is excessive. And why are there carrots in the stew?"

Lisa's hands flew dramatically to the sides in exasperation. "Why can't there be carrots in fish stew?"

"Sayo doesn't cook it with carrots."

"Your MOM cooks it with carrots!"

Yukina just shrugged, and all but drank the stew without so much as tasting it, fish and all. She rose up and took the bowl with her to the kitchen sink.

"I am done. Thanks for the meal."

Lisa shouted behind her. "What an ungrateful cat!"

"I said thank you," came Yukina's muffled reply from behind the kitchen door.

After dinner, Lisa insisted on staying longer to have a childhood friends' talk, which consisted of her whining some more about how Yukina has been converted to Sayo's anti-carrot camp, amongst other changes to her tastes.

"You used to like my cooking."

"I still like your cookies."

"Oh come on, last time you told me 'Sayo can make them just as crunchy now'."

"That is not untrue."

"Still a rude thing to say to someone feeding you!"

Their argument lasted five hours, even when Yukina had conceded just so she could continue working on her score. It only stopped because Lisa had gotten so heated she was practically screaming, which led Yukina's neighbour to knock on the front door and awkwardly tell them to shut up because it was already past midnight. Lisa left shortly after that, but it was already too late to work on the composition. Yukina flopped onto the couch in exhaustion. She would've fallen asleep if not for it being far too small for her, and her neck and back started hurting from their strained positions. She ended up rolling off the couch onto the rug, dragging with her Sayo's sweater which she had grabbed from the vicinity earlier to keep herself warm. Too tired to move to her bed, Yukina dozed off right there on the rug.

…

"Minato-san…"

"Minato-san, where are you?"

Footsteps neared, stirring Yukina from her sleep. She groaned when her eyes cracked open to the morning sunlight.

"Minato-san! Did you sleep the whole night on the rug!?"

"Ughnn…"

Yukina grunted from the night's discomfort. Sayo's sweater hadn't been enough to keep her warm, so she latched onto Sayo and attempted to bring her closer so she could steal her body heat. Sayo pulled Yukina's upper body up so she could bring her into her arms.

"You should go to the bed if you still want to sleep."

Yukina welcomed such suggestion with yet another groan. She wasn't keen on moving herself.

"Sayo, carry me?"

Sayo didn't respond for a moment, then just sighed.

"Very well. Just this once though."

Yukina nodded and snuggled into Sayo's chest as Sayo lifted her up and moved her to their bed. Truth be told, Sayo hadn't had too well a night's sleep either, worried over whether Yukina had set the house on fire in her clumsiness. She really needed to start teaching Yukina to be more independent. But for now, Sayo was contented to catch up on some rest with Yukina by her side once more. She pulled the covers up for them both, Yukina settling down in her embrace.

"Welcome home, Sayo…" Yukina muttered, her voice trailing off with sleep.

Sayo brushed a hand through Yukina's hair; she herself drifting off.

"It is good to be back."


End file.
